Petter Lidbeck made his debut as early as 1997 with the novel "Linnea from Yuajiang" and has written more than 40 children's and young adult books during his long career.
Among them, his acclaimed detective series "Three Girls" and "The Party" stand out, which received the Crimetime Award for Best Children's Detective Novel in 2020. The Astrid Lindgren jury highlights his trust in his readers: "They can handle a little danger. They may even grow from it."
In "Anna Larsson's Secret Diary", which was nominated for the August Prize in 2003, nine-year-old Anna Larsson writes parodies of Astrid Lindgren's characters, whom she despises.
Petter Lidbeck, on the other hand, is happy and honored to receive Astrid's own prize. In a press release, the award winner emphasizes that she is such an integral part of every Swede's life that she is reflected in our language.
"We are strong like Pippi, we take risks, make a mess, and urge each other not to be like Krösamaja. The last one is a bit sad, because Krösamaja is my favorite," he says, and notes that he is "unreasonably happy" to have received the prize.
The Astrid Lindgren Prize was established by the publisher Rabén & Sjögren on Lindgren's 60th birthday in 1967 and should not be confused with the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, which was established by the government after the author's death and has been awarded since 2003.
Among the authors who have received the Astrid Lindgren Prize are Barbro Lindgren, Ulf Stark, Pija Lindenbaum, and Jenny Jägerfeld.
