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PRESS RELEASE

Version française

IBBY CANADA IS delighted to announce that the world's largest children's literary award, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award with a cash prize of USD $700,000, goes to Banco del Libro in Venezuela. IBBY Canada is one of the organizations invited to submit a nomination for this annual international children's reading award, and IBBY Canada's nominee was Banco del Libro -- the first time a Canadian nomination has been selected as the winner. The Award will be presented to Banco del Libro on May 30th 2007 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Banco del Libro is a non-profit reading institution headquartered in Caracas, Venezuela. Founded in 1960, Banco del Libro promotes and encourages children's reading and literature. Banco del Libro has built model libraries, initiated school library networks, started a children's publisher, and founded a centre for children's literature, used by researchers, authors, illustrators and others.

Pasty Aldana, recently elected President of IBBY (only the second-ever Canadian President of this international organization) said, "Our heartfelt congratulations to Banco del Libro, one of the world's outstanding institutions in the area of reading promotion. This is a wonderful day for the IBBY community worldwide."

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award was established by the Swedish government. The annual international prize of five million Swedish crowns (approximately USD $700,000), may be awarded to authors, illustrators, storytellers and/or promoters of reading. The object of the award is to increase interest in children's literature, and to promote children's rights to culture on a global level. The Award is named in honour of Sweden's Astrid Lindgren, the popular and beloved author who created Pippi Longstocking. IBBY organizations around the world can prepare nominations for the Award.

IBBY, the International Board on Books for Young People (www.ibby.org) promotes understanding around the world through children's literature, through more than 70 national sections worldwide. The Canadian national section, IBBY Canada (www.ibby-canada.org), was founded in 1980 to promote French and English language Canadian children's literature nationally and internationally.

For more information, please contact:

Helena Aalto
Promotion Officer, IBBY Canada
(416) 658-3144
helena.aalto@rogers.com

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