Eva Lindström – laureate 2022 1
Eva Lindström, Picture book artist Min vän Lage (
My friend Lage; Alfabeta, 2001) down simplicity, thinly outlined figures, and increasing amounts of empty space between the characters combine to produce a distinctive atmosphere. The story conveys a sense of both isolation and community, as well pangs of loss for a missing father. But in its minimalism and lack of definition, the story also resists easy interpretation. It is a perfect illustration of how Eva Lindström makes artistic use of ambiguity. We never learn what the children have been through. Is the journey shown a symbolic one, a way of showing the 19 grief of separation when a family suffers a painful departure? We can at least be certain that the children represent strength and indomitable optimism. Nothing is impossible for them. Picture books for all ages Eva Lindström’s immensely varied stories are capable of many interpretations and reward slow and thoughtful reading. Her uncompromising, boundary-crossing style has qualities that enable her to reach far beyond the intended target group for picture books.