In the Pursuit of Diversity? Geolinguistic Reach, Cultural Narratives, and Prestige from the Margins in the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

In this study, we analyse the world’s largest children’s literature prize, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA), using the framework of sociology of translation. We examine Sweden’s role as the awarding country, the languages, nationalities, and translations of ALMA laureates, and the prominent role of English in relation to the prize. We also argue that ALMA’s design – recognising recipients on both aesthetic and humanistic grounds across different categories – has fostered greater geolinguistic diversity among laureates, as well as a perspective on value specific to children’s literature. Our case study of the 2024 prize year further illustrates how Indigenous languages and literary experiences were foregrounded in the award’s marketing storytelling, demonstrating how prestige was drawn from the periphery to reinforce the positions of both ALMA and Sweden within the global literary field.