AGORA: In the mind of a picture book artist
Drawing a better world
My art carries a desire to experiment with the picture book format, what kind of stories can we tell? I believe that even young children have the right to understand and question what is happening in society. My books are characterised by humour, melancholy and a keen interest in social commentary and activism. I am not afraid of touching on some of the most difficult issues of our time – the climate crisis, ai, war – with heart and mind. The reader’s gaze is shifted from the navel of humanity and given a broader perspective with an emphasis on small and innocent beings.
Speaker
Linda Bondestam, author, artist
Linda Bondestam (b. 1977) is a picture book artist from Helsinki. Since her debut in 2003 she has made about 40 books with different writers and written four books by herself. Linda is often asked to lead workshops for children and adults in different parts of the world. When she is not busy with her books she does animation and also performs with her theater group, Teater Tapir.
She has been nominated for numerous prizes and together with Ulf Stark she was granted the Nordic Council’s Children and Young People’s Literature Prize in 2017 for their book Animals that no one has seen except us. Her own book Chop Chop, en tapper jordbos berättelse was granted the August Prize 2024. She sits on chair number 11 in the Swedish Children’s Books Academy.