Animals That No One But Us Has Seen

Linda Bondestam gave an excellent presentation to the Society's largest gathering to date. Members and friends particularly enjoyed her charming poetry readings from some of the children's books that she has illustrated. Linda is one of the Nordic’s Countries’ best-known artists, illustrators and authors, and her playful use of colour is delicately balanced with the appropriate sensitivity to handle difficult subjects in children's literature.

Swedish-Finnish, she was born and lives in Helsinki and studied Illustration at Kingston University. Her illustrations of the text by Ulf Stark of Djur Som Ingen Sett Utom Vi (Animals That No One But Us Has Seen) was awarded the Snöbollen Prize in 2016 for Swedish Picture Book of the Year. The book was also awarded The Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize in 2017 and winner of the August Prize in 2020.

Linda made her debut as a writer in 2019 with the publication of God Natt på Jorden (Good Night on Earth) which she both wrote and illustrated. It comprises a collection of bedtime stories for children in which Linda creates a very special universe for children in text and image. The book will be available in English in spring 2021.