On March 21, the first day of the 59th annual Bologna Children's Book Fair, an "extraordinary award for an extraordinary artist" was presented to Beatrice Alemagna.
Alemagna is the author-illustrator of over 40 books that have been translated and published in 25 countries. Her books have been published by publishers such as Albin Michel, Topipittori, HarperCollins, Tate Publishers, l'Ecole des loisirs, Thames & Hudson, Enchanted Lion, Mondadori, Hélium, MoMA, Seuil, Autrement, Gallimard, Phaïdon, Casterman, Walker Books, and La Partie. Alemagna has been a consistent presence at the BCBF for several years, having been selected several times for awards and exhibition and serving on the jury for the Illustrators Exhibition in 2021.
"Like the BCBF, Beatrice Alemagna was born in Bologna, but she has gone on to become a true citizen of the world and one of the most esteemed illustrators on the international scene," the Fair's press office said in a statement. "With her latest work, the book Vi går till parken (Let’s Go to the Park), published by the Swedish publisher Mirandobok and written by Sara Stridsberg, she offers stunning proof of how art can represent a period of global crisis, such as the prolonged pandemic emergency, through a style that is both poetic and enlightening, without any trace of bombast."
