Margaret Mahy –
winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Author Award 2006
In awarding the 2006 Hans Christian Andersen Medal for Writing to Margaret Mahy, the jury of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) has recognized one of the world’s most original re-inventers of language. Mahy’s language is rich in poetic imagery, magic, and supernatural elements. Her oeuvre provides a vast, numinous, but intensely personal metaphorical arena for the expression and experience of childhood and adolescence. Equally important, however, are her rhymes and poems for children. Mahy’s works are known to children and young adults all over the world. The award will be presented a the opening ceremony of IBBY’s Congress in Beijing, China, on 20 September 2006.
