Malin Nauwerck, Tuva Haglund and Jana Rüegg has received a grant from the Swedish Research Council

Malin Nauwerck (the Swedish Institute for Children's Books, project leader), Tuva Haglund (the Swedish Institute for Children's Books) and Jana Rüegg (Uppsala University) has received a grant from the Swedish Research Council for the research project "Worth and Wonder. Exploring Aesthetic and Pedagogical Values of Children’s Literature through the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award." The project is based at the Swedish Institute for Children's Books, in collaboration with Uppsala University.

Project description:

The aim of Worth and Wonder is to conduct the first comprehensive Swedish study on how various actors within the literary landscape shape and negotiate the values attributed to children’s literature. The overarching research question is what specific conditions influence the evaluation of children’s literature, setting it apart from adult literature and how these values are shaped, negotiated, and reinforced through the practices and discourses surrounding the world’s largest children’s literature prize, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA)?

Structured around three work packages, the project investigates value-creating processes in three key contexts: ALMA’s cultural policy work and communication, the laureates’ communication on their art, and ALMA-themed reading projects in schools. This integration of diverse value discourses not only represents a novel approach to children's literature but is also essential for capturing the intricate interplay between aesthetic and pedagogical dimensions that defines children's literature.

During this three-year project, the research team will develop a theoretical and methodological framework specific to children’s literature. Using this framework, the study will employ ethnographic approaches and fieldwork for empirical investigation. By providing both empirical data and theoretical insights, Worth and Wonder will make a significant contribution to the fields of children’s literature, prize studies, and literature didactics.