Russian head of children’s book jury resigns

The Russian head of a
jury awarding the biennial Hans Christian Andersen prize for
children’s literature announced her resignation on Tuesday,
after allegations of her involvement in Russian war propaganda.
Russian artist Anastasia Arkhipova was elected to head the
jury by the Basel-based International Board on Books for Young
People (IBBY) in September.
The award, whose winners include Swedish writer Astrid
Lindgren, is regarded as the highest international distinction
given to an author and illustrator of books for young people,
according to the IBBY.
Since her election, Arkhipova has faced pressure from some
member countries to step down over her role as board member of
the Moscow Branch of Artists Association of Russia (MOCX).
MOCX last year launched a contest that, according to its
website, encouraged artists to submit artwork that would promote
Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Several member countries including Sweden, Finland, Denmark
and the Baltic countries have said Arkhipova’s work at MOCX is
not compatible with her role as head of the children’s
literature award jury.
Last week, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II withdrew her
protectorate of the award. The mayor of Odense, the birthplace
of Hans Christian Andersen, last week asked IBBY for the Danish
fairy tale writer’s name to be kept out of the prize.
“(Arkhipova) is mindful of the perception of the outside
world,” the IBBY said in a statement on Tuesday after its board
accepted her resignation at an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday.
“IBBY strongly and unequivocally condemns Russia’s military
aggression against Ukraine,” it said.