Virginia Hamilton, United States author, has been named winner of the 1992 Hans Christian Andersen Award for writing. The prestigious prize, given biennially by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), to an author or illustrator living at the time of the nominations, is for the body of work. The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the most important international award in children's literature. An international jury of eight members, elected by the IBBY Executive Committee, select an author and an illustrator who, by the outstanding value of their work, has made a lasting contribution to literature for children.

Each national section of IBBY may nominate one candidate for writing and one for illustrations. The field of contenders for the prizes of this biennial was unusually large, with eighteen authors and twenty illustrators. Twenty-two countries were represented. The United States nominee for illustration for 1992 is Ed Young. Virginia Hamilton was selected as the winner from among 18 countries that made nominations for the award.

Ms. Hamilton, the first United States Hans Christian Andersen Award winner since 1978, said of the award, "I'm thrilled. I feel very grateful that the international community finds my work worthy of this award. I am pleased because, by selecting me, they have affirmed their interest in multicultural concerns and their support for cultural diversity. I hope to continue writing good books for some time to come. This is a culmination of twenty-five years of my career.

"The Hans Christian Andersen Award exemplifies IBBY's concern for literature and for children. IBBY's activities promote the international flow of books for young people and the flow of ideas. They open and extend interest in books for young people and appreciation for all the world's children through literature."

Hamilton's husband, Arnold Adoff, said of the Hamilton-Adoff household after learning of the award, "There's excitement and happiness here. This is Virginia's twenty-fifth anniversary year as a published author. It was in 1967 that Virginia's first novel, Zeely, (Macmillan), was published. It is wonderful that this happened to help make it a jubilee. To have won the Hans Christian Andersen is another milestone. I am gratified for the award and specifically happy for their appreciation of Virginia. As one who is witness to all the hard work she has done, I am happy.

"Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich prepared a wonderful dossier for the committee. Louise Howton, Editorial Director at Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich' did outstanding work. Louise and her California staff did a great deal of research, along with Bonnie Verburg, Executive Editor, who is Virginia's editor. We appreciate their effort and the excellent dossier that resulted from their work.

"We are also grateful to the American committee who nominated Virginia, spoke highly of her, and believed in her. We are overjoyed at the commitment that people must have and their appreciation of her work."

1992 HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN AWARDS

Bologna, Italy, April 8,1992 - The Andersen Award Jury of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) announced the American author Virginia Hamilton as the winner of the 1992 Hans Christian Andersen Author Award and the Czech illustrator, Kveta Pacovska as the winner of the 1992 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration.

CONGRATULATIONS, VIRGINIA!
Ronald Jobe

I am most pleased that Virginia Hamilton was selected by the jury to be the 1992 winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award. How could I not be! I have been a long-time fan of her writing talent, admiring the multifaceted style with which she challenges me as a reader. I have high praise for her splendid use of language, a rich descriptive vocabulary, powerful metaphors, and natural dialogue in many dialects. The way she weaves fantasy and reality into each book is amazing. It is a special pleasure for me that this distinguished American writer has been honored internationally.

Yes, Virginia, there was a Hans Christian Andersen, and today he would be very pleased that you have won the award in his name!

Ronald Jobe, IBBY President, is professor of education at University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN AWARD

Given biennially since 1956 by the International Board on books for young people to an author and an illustrator (since 1966) in recognition of his or her body of work.

1956 Eleanor Farjeon, Great Britain
1958 Astrid Lindgren, Sweden
1960 Erich Kastner, GFR
1962 Meindert DeJong, USA
1964 Rene Guillot, France
1966 Author: Tove Jansson, Finland, Illustrator: Alois Carigiet, Switzerland
1968 Authors: James Kruss, GFR, Jose Maria Sanchez--Silva, Spain, Illustrator: Jirf Tmka, Czecho-slovakia
1970 Author: Gianni Rodari, Italy, Illustrator: Maurice Sendak, USA
1972 Author: Scott O'Dell, USA, Illustrator: Ib Spang Olsen, Denmark
1974 Author: Maria Gripe Sweden, Illustrator: Farshid Mesghali, Iran
1976 Author: Cecil Bodker, Denmark, Dustrator Tatjana Mawrina, USSR
1978 Author: Paula Fox, USA, Illustrator: Svend Otto S., Denmark
1980 Author: Bohumil Riha, Czechoslovakia, Illustrator: Suekichi Akaba, Japan
1982 Author: Lygia Bojunga Nunes, Brazil, Illustrator Zbigniew Rychlick, Poland)
1984 Author: Christine Nostlinger, Austria, Illustrator: Mitsumasa Anno, Japan
1986 Author: Patricia Wrightson, Australia, Illustrator: Robert Ingpen, Australia
1988 Author: Annie M.G. Schmidt, Netherlands, Illustrator Dusan Kallay, Czechoslovakia
1990 Author: Tormod Haugen, Norway, Illustrator: Lisbeth Zwerger, Austria
1992 Author: Virginia Hamilton, United States, Illustrator: Kveta Pacovska, Czechoslovakia

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