Latest news with #HansChristianAndersenAward
Korea Herald
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Seoul Writers' festival to explore stories that go beyond what meets the eye
Yan Lianke, Hyun Ki-young to open festival set for Sept. 9-17 Writers from around the world will gather in Seoul next month for the 2025 Seoul International Writers' Festival, a weeklong event designed to foster dialogue between authors and readers. The Literature Translation Institute of Korea announced Monday that the festival will take place Sept. 12-17 at Ground Seoul in Jongno District, under the theme "( ) Meets the Eye." Ten international authors from eight countries and 19 Korean writers are slated to participate. This year's theme, "( ) Meets the Eye," the organizers said, was chosen to explore the essence of things in an age awash with information and fierce competition for attention. 'The 2025 Seoul International Writers' Festival aims yet again to re-envision our world from a perspective beyond what the eye can see. We invite you into the beauty of the literature that is created when one set of eyes meets another,' said the institute in a statement. The program will open with a conversation between Yan Lianke — an acclaimed Chinese novelist and winner of the Franz Kafka Prize who has twice been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize — and Hyun Ki-young, the Jeju–born Korean author whose works, including the novella "Uncle Suni" and the three-volume epic "Oh, Jejudo," have brought attention to the tragedy of the island's April 3 Uprising. The two writers plan to reflect on the historical wounds their countries share. Other notable pairings include Lee Suzy, the first Korean recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustration in 2022, with French picture-book artist Adrien Parlange; Swedish novelist Jonas Hassen Khemiri with Korean American author Juhea Kim of "Beasts of a Little Land." Overseas guests also include Matteo B. Bianchi of Italy, Victoria Mas of France, Sarah Pinsker of the US, Elvira Navarro of Spain, Patrick deWitt of Canada and Yumi Fuzuki of Japan. Korean authors include Kang Ji-young, author of "The Killer's Shopping List"; star SF writer Kim Cho-yeop of "If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light"; this year's breakout sensation Seong Hae-na of "Honmono"; Hans Christian Andersen Award nominee Lee Geum-yi; and Choi Jin-young of "Hunger," among others. Founded in 2006, the Seoul International Writers' Festival is a global literary event dedicated to expanding opportunities for readers to engage with literature and to fostering international exchange in Seoul. Admission is free, with reservations available beginning Monday through LTI Korea's official website and on Naver's booking page.
Express Tribune
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Remembering HC Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a dreamer who migrated between the worlds of fantasy and reality while becoming one of the world's best-known fairy tale authors, reports DW. He died in Copenhagen on August 4, 1875 but his stories live on — in children's rooms, on theatre stages and movie screens. His sagas often feature characters who've been rejected by society. They are tales of human weakness, of anguish and longing, but also beauty. The writer's children's stories are his greatest legacy, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an author and illustrator of children's books. Here are five reasons why Andersen remains relevant 150 years after his death. 1. From childhood struggles to feted artist Born on April 2, 1805, Andersen grew up in humble circumstances in Odense, a town in southern Denmark. His father was a cobbler, his mother a laundress and alcoholic. His aunt ran a brothel. During Andersen's childhood, his family's struggled to put food on the table, and he attended a local school for impoverished children. It was there that he discovered his love for books and the theater and began to write his first stories. At the age of 14, he went to Copenhagen and met the director of the Royal Danish Theatre, who took Andersen under his wing and nurtured his talent. By the time the writer turned 30, the whole of Europe was captivated by his poems, plays, two novels and the first volume of Fairy Tales Told for Children. But recognition eluded him back home in Denmark, where critics derided his fairy tales as "harmful" and "irresponsible." Nonetheless, Andersen's mythical tales underpinned his global fame and Denmark ultimately celebrated his talent as he received patronage and travel grants from the Danish king. 2. Protests against injustice Look behind the fairy tale sheen of Andersen's stories and you'll often find subtle satire or veiled criticism of power, vanity and social injustice. The Emperor's New Clothes is a parable about vanity and the fear of contradicting authority — a theme that's more relevant than ever in the social media age. Few children's tales are as poignant as the story of the little girl trying to sell matches on a freezing cold New Year's Eve. The next day she's found on the street, frozen to death and nameless. Andersen didn't just write The Little Match Girl to make us feel something. It's also intended as a social critique, a silent protest against indifference to poverty and child suffering. The Ugly Duckling, often interpreted as autobiographical, relates the success story of a humiliated outsider, the life of a misunderstood chick that, despite numerous setbacks, finally fulfills its dream and transforms into a beautiful swan. As Hans Christian Andersen once said: "It doesn't matter if you're born in a duck yard, so long as you're hatched from a swan's egg!" The Little Mermaid is a metaphor for the longing for another world and the willingness to sacrifice one's self for love. The main protagonist in this story falls in love with a prince and sacrifices her voice to be with him as a human being. But he marries someone else. In the end, she dissolves into the sea and becomes a "daughter of the air," granted the opportunity to earn an immortal soul through good deeds. The stories tune into emotions familiar to people regardless of where in the world they are: the search for love and identity, the hope of recognition, the power of personal transformation. And the fact that life doesn't always give us happy endings. These messages are timeless. 3. A life marked by fear and eccentricity Andersen was a colourful character, highly sensitive and at the same time full of idiosyncrasies. He suffered from paranoia, mood swings and hypochondria. He was afraid of dogs and robberies. When he received a bad review, he would roll around on the floor in a rage. When travelling, he always carried a rope with him so that he could abseil out of burning hotels in an emergency. Andersen also suffered from a pronounced fear of being buried alive, also known as taphephobia. Fearing that he might be mistaken for dead when he slept, he left notes on his bedside table with the words: "I only appear to be dead." What was originally planned as a brief visit to the home of Charles Dickens in London became a five-week-long stay — much to the chagrin of the British writer, who was more than relieved when his eccentric guest finally left. On a mirror in the guest room, Dickens noted: "Hans Andersen slept in this room for five weeks - which seemed to the family ages!" 4. Message for young and old Andersen didn't write to entertain children with stories about beautiful princesses and noble knights. His stories of animals and magical creatures contain complex narratives with multiple layers of themes and emotions such as longing, loss, death and identity. These fairy tales often contain a moral message. As well as evil being punished, goodness, kindness and compassion are also rewarded. The author strived to positively reinforce these values and ethics throughout his stories. 5. Globe-spanning legacy The works of Andersen have been translated into more than 150 languages, and motifs from his stories can still be found in theater, music, ballet, comics and films. Disney made his fairy tales world-famous: Films like The Little Mermaid is based on the Dane's story of the same name, while the wildly successful Frozen franchise was inspired by The Snow Queen. His characters have become global icons — from the mermaid statue in Copenhagen to the monument dedicated to him in New York's Central Park. Now, 150 years after Andersen's death, his stories live on because they're more than just fairy tales: they hold up a mirror to human fallibility — and transformation.
RNZ News
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Controlled mess with celebrated illustrator Sydney Smith
Photo: Steve Farmer In the world of children's literature, the Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international distinction awarded to authors and illustrators of children's books. The award recognises lifelong achievement and is given to someone whose complete works have made an important, lasting contribution to children's literature. Canadian illustrator Sydney Smith is one of those people. He won the award biennial award for his emotive, often wordless books, which express complex, and at times unsettling emotions, explored in a gentle way while respecting the reader's intelligence, regardless of whether that reader is a parent or a kid. He joins the show to talk about his work. A collection of children's books illustrated by Sydney Smith. (PHOTO: Sydney Smith) 'Sidewalk Flowers' written by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Sydney Smith. Groundwood Books, 2015 (PHOTO: Sydney Smith) Pages from 'Sidewalk Flowers' written by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Sydney Smith. Groundwood Books, 2015 (PHOTO: Sydney Smith) A page from 'Town Is by the Sea' written by Joanne Schwartz, illustrated by Sydney Smith. (PHOTO: Sydney Smith) 'Do You Remember?' written and illustrated by Sydney Smith. (PHOTO: Sydney Smith) An excerpt from 'I Talk Like A River' written by Jordan Scott, illustrated by Sydney Smith. (PHOTO: Sydney Smith) 'Small in the City' written and illustrated Sydney Smith. (PHOTO: Sydney Smith) 'Small in the City' written and illustrated Sydney Smith. (PHOTO: Sydney Smith)
Korea Herald
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Government agency to operate rights center at London Book Fair
The Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA), a government agency under the Culture Ministry, said it will operate a rights center at the 54th London Book Fair, taking place Tuesday to Thursday. The booth will be shared with 10 participating Korean publishers, including Munhakdongne Publishing, Darakwon, iPortfolio and BC Agency. Additionally, the booth will showcase 101 books from 38 Korean publishers that could not participate in person. After the event, the books will be donated to the Korean Cultural Centre UK. Among the books featured at this year's booth is "B-Cut for You" (Munhakdongne) by Lee Geum-yi, who was shortlisted in the writing category for the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award. In addition to literary works by authors such as Chung Se-rang and Park Sang-young, the selection includes nonfiction titles, essays and humanities books, according to the ministry. KPIPA said this is the first time it has established a rights center at the London Book Fair. Previously, the agency primarily focused on digital publishing, operating booths dedicated to technology, e-books, web novels and webtoons.
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Jacqueline Wilson to guest edit BBC Radio Sussex and Surrey show
Author Dame Jacqueline Wilson is to become the latest guest editor for BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio who has written more than 100 books, was born in Bath, Somerset, but now resides near Alfriston in East 79-year-old was recently made a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire last year for her services to is to take control of an edition of the BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey mid-morning show on Friday. The decorated writer had mixed success with about 40 books before her breakthrough to fame in 1991 with The Story of Tracy her edition of the programme on Friday, she said she had chosen to focus on the conservation work being undertaken at Drusillas Park, fostering and the importance of reading aloud to author has won numerous awards including the Smarties Prize and the Guardian Children's Fiction was also the chancellor of the University of Roehampton for six years until August 2020, receiving an honorary doctorate in has also received honorary degrees from the University of Winchester, University of Dundee, University of Bath and Kingston her lifetime contribution as a children's writer, she was also a UK nominee for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award in programme is available to listen to on BBC Sounds.
