Astrid Lindgren

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Astrid Lindgren received the Library Council's Nils Holgersson plaque in 1950, the Swedish National Prize for "Writers of high literary standard" in 1957, the International H.C. Andersen Award in 1958, the Swedish Academy's Gold Medal in 1971, Litteris and Artibus, a medal awarded by the King of Sweden, in 1975, and many others, such as the New York Herald Tribune Festival Award 1963 and a special German award for children's books in 1956.

Astrid herself talks about her writing; “People often ask if I get inspiration from my own children and grandchildren. To this I can only reply that no child inspires me except the child I once was myself. It is not at all necessary to have children of one's own to be able to write children's books. All you need is to have been a child once yourself.”

“As I said many times before, I make no conscious effort to influence children who read my books. All I can vaguely hope for is that they might contribute a little bit towards instilling human kindness and a democratic outlook in the children who read them. Books that seek to do no more than provide a pure reading experience posses all the validity they need. Once an unknown woman pressed a small scrap of paper into my hand with this message scribbled on it: Thanks for brightening up a gloomy childhood. That's enough for me. If I've been able to brighten a single gloomy childhood, then I'm satisfied.”

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