Lóa Hlín Hjálmtýsdóttir, Rán Flygenring, Elías Rúni and Mars Proppé received the 2025 Reykjavík Children's Book Awards for their books Mamma sandkaka, Tjörnin and Kynsegin.
Mayor Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir presented the Reykjavík Children's Book Awards at a ceremony at Höfði this afternoon, on the last day of winter. The awards recognize three categories of books for children and young people: original works in Icelandic, illustrations, and translations. These are the country's oldest children's book awards, first presented in 1973 as the Children's Book Awards of Reykjavík's Education Council. In 2016, the Dimmalimm Awards and Reykjavík Children's Book Awards were combined, creating the current three categories.
This year, the selection committee reviewed 66 manuscripts. Five books were nominated in each of the three categories, and the three winning books have now been announced. The selection committee was composed of chair Sigrún Margrét Guðmundsdóttir, Arngrímur Vídalín, and Bergrún Adda Pálsdóttir.
Lóa Hlín Hjálmtýsdóttir won the Reykjavík Children's Book Award in the original works category for the book Mamma sandkaka, published by Salka.
Rán Flygenring was recognized in the illustration category for the book Tjörnin, published by Angústúra.
Elías Rúni and Mars Proppé received the award in the translation category for the book Kynsegin by Maia Kobabe, published by Salka.
Congratulations to the winners!
Selection committee citations:
Mamma sandkaka by Lóa Hlín Hjálmtýsdóttir. Publisher: Salka Publishing.
Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir is no newcomer to making people of all ages burst into laughter, and Mamma sandkaka is no exception. The book is a standalone sequel to Mamma kaka, which is an extremely funny book, but here Lóa takes the humor even further. This book is filled with pure joy, and parents get plenty of entertainment alongside their children.
Tjörnin by Rán Flygenring. Publisher: Angústúra.
In Tjörnin, the story presents a true adventure in the garden where so much is happening. With each reading, the illustrations reveal something new while giving the story remarkable depth. The drawings flow, arrange themselves in sequence, fill the space, and sometimes can even stop time. Rán has created a familiar yet adventurous world.
Kynsegin by Maia Kobabe, translation: Elías Rúni and Mars Proppé. Publisher: Salka Publishing.
Elías Rúni and Mars Proppé translated the novel Kynsegin, a memoir in which Maia Kobabe tells how e found emself after years of self-doubt and uncertainty. This graphic novel is an artistically crafted work about an important issue and has undoubtedly been a challenge for the two translators, who solved various problems with skill and respect for the material.
Other nominated books
The following books were nominated for the 2025 Reykjavík Children's Book Awards in addition to the winning books:
Original fiction
- Kúkur, piss og prump, Sævar Helgi Bragason, publisher JPV
- The Magnificent Summer Course, Tómas Zoëga, publisher Mál og menning
- Kasia og Magdalena, Hildur Knútsdóttir, publisher JPV
- Kóngsi geimfari, Laufey Arnardóttir, publisher Lofn
Illustrations
- Matti og Maurún, Laufey Jónsdóttir, publisher Bókafélagið
- Kúkur, piss og prump, Elías Rúni, publisher JPV
- Skrímslaveisla, Áslaug Jónsdóttir, publisher Mál og menning
- Tumi fer til tunglsins, Lilja Cardew, publisher Bókabeitan
Translations
- Translations Risaeðlugengið: Leyndarmálið, Sverrir Jakobsson, publisher Mál og menning
- Matti og Maurún, Andreas Guðmundsson Gähwiller, publisher Bókafélagið
- Lockwood og co: Öskrin frá stiganum, Sólveig Sif Hreiðarsdóttir, publisher Kver bókaútgáfa
- Ég og Milla: Allt í köku, Jón St. Kristjánsson, publisher Vaka Helgafell
Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature oversees the awards, as it does the city's other literary awards.