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Author Lee Geum-yi shortlisted again for Hans Christian Andersen Award

Published: 01 Feb. 2026, 14:35 Updated: 01 Feb. 2026, 18:19

KIM JU-YEON
[email protected]

Author Lee Geum-yi [INTERNATIONAL BOARD ON BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE]

Lee Geum-yi, a leading Korean author of children’s and young adult books, has been shortlisted again for the Hans Christian Andersen Award (HCAA) this year, following her nomination for the prestigious children’s literature prize in 2024.

The HCAA, awarded every two years to one writer and one illustrator for their lifelong contribution to children’s literature, marks its 70th anniversary this year since its founding in 1956.

An international jury selected this year's candidates from 78 nominations submitted by 44 countries worldwide, according to the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) on Friday.

Lee was named alongside five other writers from Iran, France, Chile, the United States and Britain.

Known for best-selling titles such as “You Too Are a Twilight Lily” (1999) and “Yujin and Yujin” (2004), she has been short-listed for a second time after becoming the first Korean author to reach the final stage of the awards in 2024. Illustrator Lee Suzy became the first Korean to win the HCAA in 2022.

Lee Geum-yi debuted in 1984 with a short story titled “Younggu and Heukgu.”

She has often centered marginalized voices in her work, including women, migrants, people with disabilities and nontraditional families, and explored themes of belonging and the violence faced by children and young adults.

IBBY describes her as a writer with “signature strength: weaving heavy themes into gripping, accessible narratives without softening their truth.”

She most recently published “The Gap of Sorrow” (2025), the last book of a trilogy on the Korean women's diaspora under Japanese colonial rule (1910-45).

The HCAA winners will be announced at the IBBY Annual Press Conference during the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy on April 13. The award is sponsored by Nami Island, a Korean tourism company that promotes content related to the arts, culture and environment.

BY KIM JU-YEON [[email protected]]