Seven UK authors have been shortlisted for the £400,000 Astrid Lindgren Memorial award: Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, the creators of the Gruffalo, illustrators Quentin Blake and Anthony Browne, as well as novelists David Almond, Michael Morpurgo and Eva Ibbotson.
The award was established by the Swedish government following the death of Pippi Longstocking author Astrid Lindgren in 2002, aged 94. Last year's winner was Australian writer Sonya Hartnett, and other recipients include Philip Pullman and Maurice Sendak.
This year nominations were received from 60 countries, and also include book projects as well as writers. The winner, picked by a panel of judges, will be announced in March 2009.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/sep/19/astrid.lindgren.award.childrens.books
