2019

The Jaunaudze Award for the Best Début in Children's Literature and Art

To promote growth and encourage more young authors to turn to creating good quality children's literature, on 24 July, JSC "Latvia's State Forests" (LVM) presented the Jaunaudze Award to the Jānis Baltvilks Award winner Sergejs Timofejevs for his book "A Tale of the Knight who had a Toothache". The ceremony took place at the Botanical Garden of the University of Latvia. For his début in children's literature and book art the author received the White Wolf created by artist Inese Brants.

“Today, the book is the most ecological of the media. It is an indescribable feeling when you hold in your hands a book made fro a renewable natural resource - wood. I am delighted that there is a new début also in youth literature that invites us to grow with proven and still up-to-date values,” said Tomass Kotovičs, Head of LVM Communication Unit, congratulating this year's best débutante in children's literature.

The Jānis Baltvilks Award in children's literature this year was awarded to Aivars Kļavis for his series of historical novels for youth titled "Road to the Unknown Land". For illustrations for her book "The Kiosk" Anete Melece received the Baltvilks Award in children's and youth book art. The book "The Little Puddle" by Ilmārs Ziemanis with Andis Reinbergs' illustrations ranked first in the readers' vote. The international winner this year is the Italian writer Angela Nanetti with her story "My Grandfather was a Cherry Tree".

The aim of the Baltvilks Award is to help Latvian children's literature enter a new development stage, to attract the interest of talented writers and artists to children's books, and to encourage children and their parents to choose good quality books.