The 2016 Hans Christian Andersen Award (HCAA), often called the Nobel Prize for children’s literature, was presented to Chinese writer Cao Wenxuan, the prize’s firstever Chinese recipient.
According to the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), the organization that presents the prize, 62-year-old Cao has distinguished himself by rooting his stories in real life and moving readers with the power of “kindness and beauty.” One of his signature novels, Bronze and Sunflower, for example, was set during the time of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), which Cao experienced in his boyhood.
“Cao Wenxuan’s books don’t lie about the human condition; they acknowledge that life can often be tragic and that children can suffer. At the same time, they can love and be redeemed by their human qualities and the kindness they sometimes find when they are most in need,” commented IBBY on its official website. So far, 26 writers and 20 illustrators have received the HCAA.
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