WINNERS OF THE 2001 UNESCO PRIZE
FOR CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S LITERATURE IN THE SERVICE OF TOLERANCE
Paris, December 7 (No
2000-134) - UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura today named the winners
of the 2001 UNESCO Prize for Children’s and Young People’s Literature in the
Service of Tolerance. La guerre (The War) by French author Anaïs
Vaugelade, won the award for the children’s under-13 category, while Istgahe
Mir (The Mir Space Station) by Iranian author Violet Razeqpanah came top of
the 13 to 18 category.
Three hundred and nine books
from 58 countries, written in 35 languages, were in competition. Forty-four
pre-selected books were submitted to the international jury, which met December
4-5 at UNESCO Headquarters. The jury, in addition to the two winners, rewarded
six other books by giving them Honourable Mentions.
La guerre, a
French-language book awarded the under-13 prize, is written and illustrated by
Anaïs Vaugelade. Published by Ecole des loisirs, it tells the story of an
absurd war which has lasted for so long that no one can remember why it began. Istgahe
Mir, Violet Razeqpanah’s book chosen in the 13 to 18 category, was written
in Farsi and published in the Islamic Republic of Iran by Ayeneh Asar. It tells
the story of five children who win the “Scientific Olympics” and are invited
on board the Mir space station. The children, from different continents and from
families which have suffered war or discrimination, give us a lesson in
tolerance.
In the under-13 category, the
jury gave Honourable Mentions to three literary works: My Brother is
Different - My Friend, a series of two books about handicapped children,
written in Arabic by Lebanese author Najla Nusayr Bashour and published in
Lebanon by Tala Establishment; La cosa più importante (The Most
Important Thing) by Italian author Antonella Abbatiello, published in Italy by
Fatatrac; and The A.O.K. Project, written by the New Zealander
Vivienne Joseph, illustrated by Trevor Pye and published in New Zealand by
Mallinson Rendel.
In the 13 to 18 category, the
jury gave Honourable Mentions to three books: Angela, by Australian
author James Moloney and published in Australia by the University of Queensland
Press; La noche en que Vlado se fue (The Night Vlado Left), written by
Spanish author Manuel Quinto and published in Spain by Alfaguara; and Café
au lait et pain aux raisins (Coffee with Milk and Raisin Rolls), the French
version of a book originally written in German by Carolin Philipps, translated
by Jeanne Etoré and published in France by Castor Poche Flammarion.
The UNESCO Prize for Children’s
and Young People’s Literature in the Service of Tolerance was created in 1995
and first awarded in 1997. It is awarded every two years to books for children
and young people that best embody the principles and ideals of tolerance and
peace and which promote understanding based on mutual respect between peoples
and their cultures. The winner of the first prize in each category receives US
$8,000. The awards ceremony will take place in April 2001.
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