HCAA 2024 Winner for Writing: Heinz Janish

Radio journalist and writer, Heinz Janisch is one of Austria’s most well-known authors of children’s books. Born 1960 in Güssing, Burgenland, he studied German philology and publishing at the University of Vienna. He has worked for Austrian broadcasting (radio) and has been editor-in-charge of the series Menschenbilder (Pictures of people) since 1984. He also writes plays and dance pieces for modern theatre, including adapting classic works for a children’s audience. Since 1989, he has written numerous picture books, poetry books and tales for children and adults as well as film scripts. He has said, “nothing is too small for literature” and this is reflected in his work that illuminates the special in seemingly trivial objects and features of daily life, and in his preference for poems, miniatures and aphorisms. He has won the the Kinderbuchpreis der Stadt Wien twelve times between 1995 and 2011. His works have been included in the IBBY Honour List: in 2000 for Der Sonntagsriese (The Sunday giant, 1998) and in 2004 for Es gibt so Tage (Some days are like this one, 2001). He won the Bologna Ragazzi Award in 2006 for Rote Wangen (Red cheeks, 2005). Several of his works have won the Österreichischer Staatspreis für Kinder- und Jugendliteratur, including Die Wolke in meinem Bett (The cloud in my bed, 2007), Der König und das Meer (The king and the sea, 2008), Finns Land (Finn’s country, 2008), Jumbojet (Jumbo jet, 2009) and Rita. Das Mädchen mit der roten Badekappe (Rita. The girl with the red swimming cap, 2012). Heinz Janisch also conducts readings and workshops on literary and creative writing at schools and libraries, as well as creative workshops for handicapped young artists. In 2020, he was awarded a lifetime achievement award – the Grosser Preis der Deutschen Akadamie für Kinder- und Jugendliteratur.  

Heinz Janisch was nominee in the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award. 

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Hans Christian Andersen. Die Reise seines Lebens. (Hans Christian Andersen: The Journey of His Life), ill. by Maja Kaastelic
Zurich, Switzerland: NordSüd, 2020, ISBN 978-3-314-10422-0

Die Schlacht von Karlawatsch (The Battle of Karlawatsch), ill. by Aljoscha Blau,
Zurich, Switzerland: Atlantis, 2018, ISBN 978-3-7152-0735-3

Die Brücke (The Bridge), ill. by Helga Bansch,
Vienna, Austria: Jungbrunnen, 2019, ISBN 978-3-7026-5929-5

Der König und das Meer (The King and the Sea), ill. by Wolf Erlbruch,
Munich, Germany: Hanser Verlag, 2015, ISBN 978-3-446-23945-6

Zack bumm! (Ker-boom!), ill. by Helga Bansch
Vienna, Austria: Jungbrunnen, 2000, ISBN 978-3-7026-5722-2