Guus Kuijer wins German Prize
The Gustav Heinemann Friedenspreis 2007 has been awarded to Das Buch von allen Dingen, the German translation of Het boek van alle dingen (The Book of all Things, translated by Sylke Hachmeister, published by Oetinger) by Guus Kuijer. The prize, named after Gustav Heinemann, who was the president of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1969 to 1974, is considered the most important award for German language children’s and youth literature after the Deutsche Jugendliteraturpreis (German Prize for Children’s Literature).
There were eighty entries, out of which Kuijer’s was selected for the prize. Books eligible are novels and non-fiction explaining the origins and workings of violence. They should also be about human courage and offer examples for solving conflicts without recourse to violence. They should inspire young people’s understanding of people with different views and encourage better relations with minorities.