Forbidden to kill and stuffing

The novel forbidden to kill by Gunnar Helgason as Rán Flygenring, and the poetry book Doto hours left Þórarin Eldjárn, which Þórarinn Már Baldursson, is nominated for on behalf of Iceland for the Nordic Council Children’s and Teen Literature Prize 2025. This was announced in the Nordic House now at eleven.

An announcement from the Nordic Council states that the nomination of the year shows « how much the possibilities of photo books, adolescents and comics possess.

This year, national jurisdictions nominate a total of 14 works for the awards, but the joint Nordic jury chooses the winners of the year. The winners of the year will be announced on October 21 and the prize itself will be presented in Stockholm on October 28 in connection with the Nordic Council 77th Session. The prize winner receives the award -winning Northern Lights and DKK 300,000 or just under ISK 5.8 million.

From the Åland Islands is the designated chapter book Neptunihusets Hemlighet by Liv Wentzel.

From Denmark are the designated cartoon story Ørn by Jeppe Sandholt and the photo book Wonga and Nævene by Molly Wittus.

From Finland are the named Photo Books Chop Chop – and Taper Jordbos Berättelse by Linda Bondestam and Kesän Ainoa Kaunis Päivä by Mariu will.

From the Faroe Islands, the children’s book is nominated by Elina at Rógvi, which Silja Eystberg was shooting.

From Greenland, the children’s book Pila by Uilu Pedersen is named Susanne Jensen.

From Iceland, the nominated novel is forbidden to kill by Gunnar Helgason as Rán Flygenring, and the poetry book Dotarímur by Þórarinn Eldjárn which Þórarinn Már Baldursson was shining.

From Norway, the teen book Jenter Som Meg by Bibi Fatima Musavi and the photo book Det Som Finnes and Det Som is Borte by Kaiu Dahle Nyhus.

From the Sami language area, the teen book Emma Dilemma by Hanne-Sofie Suongir, which Nina Marie Andersen, was named.

From Sweden are nominated the cartoon story Stinas Jojk by Mats Jonsson and the photo book Ingen Utom Jag by Sara Lundberg.

Shows a deep understanding of children’s minds

In the jury’s opinion on the banned to kill: thus a connection to the reader.

A new partner is in his class Alexander. His name is Vola and comes from Ukraine. The boy is silent and closed – really dog ​​-boring if Alex is to be honest. The stone takes off when it passes over the swimming to see a tattoo on a man in the shower. There is only one letter. Z. quite remarkable what he is sensitive! The world’s conflict stretches all the way into Alexander’s shower room and his friends. Grave and complex issues are opened and examined through a child’s mind with ADHD where thousands of thoughts rush out, both appropriate and not at all, so the reader becomes a direct participant in the scenario.

Gunnar intertwines conflicts in Europe completely with the deep fear and physical suffering that children in the conflict areas have experienced, and at the same time shows what effect such events can have on children in other countries, in this case schoolchildren in Iceland. In a diverse and healthy children’s book flora, it is valuable to have ambitious authors who can write about serious issues in such a way that children learn about them but at the same time find safety, warmth and humanity. Although the topic is serious, the book is characterized by a more playful narrative that is further alive in the lively images of Rán Flygenring. As in the previous books of the Author in the « ADHD », the Personal Flora is varied and colorful, and the progress is exciting.

Forbidden to kill is a book that shows a deep understanding of children’s minds and respect for the diversity of human life. It does not give easy or simple answers to the questions that burn on children in the political landscape that characterizes the world at this time, but opens the way for conversations between adults and children.

Gunnar Helgason (b. 1965) is an actor, director, program director for television and writer. He has written a lot of popular children’s books that have received various awards. Gunnar was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Children’s Book Prize in 2022. Rán Flygenring (b. 1987) is a self-employed image and writer, artist and designer. She has published about a dozen books and many of them have been translated into various languages. Rán has received a variety of awards and accolades for her work, including she was awarded the Nordic Council’s Children’s and Teen Literature Prize in 2023 for the book Volcanic eruption. « 

The language is the best toy

In the opinion of the jury on Dotarímur says: « The rhyme party Dotarímur by Þórarinn Eldjárn consists of ten rhymes for children. Rhymes are a special variant of historical poetry that has a deep cultural and ethnical meaning in Iceland.

Rhymes are usually told a story, and at Thorarin the children’s toys, the stuff, the scene. The ten rhymes are each dedicated to a certain toy or object. In each rhyme, a certain stuff receives a presentation or an introduction, which according to tradition called a man’s song, and after that comes a story or adventure in a bound language related to each toy. In this way, Þórarinn introduces readers a wide range of toys, ranging from balls and bangs to blocks and machines, and examines how these things affect children’s life and imagination. There is also a rhyme that deals with books and underlines the importance of reading and imagination in children’s lives. The reading is set up as a counterbalance to fast -scale entertainment, which does not deliver the same meaningful experience.

The form of the poem encourages young readers who are learning the magic of the language to slow down the reading and stop with words and imagery. It is therefore appropriate that the end time discuss the most enjoyable stuff, itself Icelandic. The language is the best toy, because it allows us to create everything between heaven and earth. Icelandic, the mother tongue of the author, is thus starring at the end of the work, but the importance of play and creative thinking can be applied in all other languages.

Þórarinn Már Baldursson has created a humorous imagery that deepens the reader’s experience, works beautifully with the rhymes and increases the artistic value of the work. The images are both colorful and imaginative, thus reflecting the playful nature of the poems.

Þórarinn Eldjárn’s books have always been characterized by humor and penetration and stuff are no exception. He takes on the book applies to everyday things from the life of children and puts them in the context of the rhyme tradition in « new » and fun way that raises both laughter and reflection.

Þórarinn Eldjárn (b. 1949) has contributed a lot to Icelandic literary history with diverse writings for both children and adults. He has received various awards and accolades, including special recognition from the Swedish Academy in 2013. Books he has illustrated have received the City of Reykjavik Children’s Book Prize, the Fjard Prize and the Icelandic Children’s Book Prize. « 

Strict requirements need to be met

The Nordic Council’s Children’s and Adolescent Literature Prize was awarded for the first time in 2013 at the request of the Nordic Ministers for Culture, who had for years wanted to promote and raise awareness of children’s and adolescent literature in the Nordic countries.

The award is awarded for professional literary works for children and adolescents written in one of the Nordic languages. The work can compile both text and images and shall meet strict requirements for literary and artistic value.

It is worth noting that all the designated books of the year are available in the original languages ​​of the Nordic House Library. There you can also access all winning books from the beginning.

All further information can be found on the website: norden.org/ IS/Bokmenntaverdalainn.