Hi, and welcome to my official website.

If you were looking for Tim Wynne-Jones, the nuclear physicist, I’m sorry but you’ve been led cruelly astray. This is the official website of the other Tim Wynne-Jones, the one who writes books, primarily for kids. I’ve written over thirty books so far, for kids of all ages, and not one of them is on nuclear physics. I might become a nuclear physicist, mind you, if this writing thing doesn’t pan out. Or a cook. I like cooking better than I like solving equations involving the speeds of sub atomic particles. They are so fast! Anyway, let’s just drop this. I’m not quite sure why you brought up the whole nuclear physics thing in the first place. I’m a writer. I write books: picture books, middle grade novels, young adult novels – that kind of thing. Look around the website and you’ll get an idea of what I’m talking about. And thanks for dropping over. No, seriously. I know how busy you are. How about I go make us a nice dish of paella, or something? Maybe some Pad Thai? Take your time. I’ll be in the kitchen. (Or, who knows, maybe in my secret underground lab…)

Announced every two years, the Hans Christian Andersen Awards are internationally recognized as the highest honour for children's authors and illustrators. The Andersen Awards, known as the “little Nobel,” were established in 1956 to recognize authors and illustrators around the world who have made a lasting and significant contribution to literature for children and young people.

A jury of Canadian children’s book experts selected Tim Wynne-Jones and Stéphane Jorisch as Canada’s nominees for the Hans Christian Andersen Awards. The jury consisted of Sarah Ellis, librarian, children's literature professor, critic, and writer; Dr. Aida Hudson, Children's Literature professor, University of Ottawa; Patricia Lemieux, Director of the Candiac library, former Quebec councillor at IBBY Canada, and former librarian heading the children’s section at BanQ; and Josiane Polidori, Head, Children's Literature, Library and Archives Canada, and former President of IBBY Canada.

The jury’s comments on Tim Wynne-Jones, the nominated author: “Tim Wynne-Jones’s writing is lyrical, prose poetry that challenges the “wizard” he believes is in every reader. His works delve into the trials and tribulations of children who live on the edge, because of family troubles, tumultuous happenings, or psychological trauma. Tim Wynne-Jones is also an editor, a fine literary critic, a masterful teacher of creative writing, and a writer’s writer, mentoring some of the leading children’s authors in Canada.” A selected list of Tim Wynne-Jones’s books follows.

The jury’s comments on Stéphane Jorisch, the nominated illustrator: “Stéphane Jorisch’s flowing style veers between reality and imagination, punctuated with luminous and poetic backgrounds, and full of emotion, inventiveness and whimsical details. He uses pencil drawings, ink, watercolour, gouache and paintbrush to interpret classics, poetry, and original illustrated stories both in French and in English. The talent of Stéphane Jorisch has been recognized by many prestigious prizes in Canada.” A selected list of Stéphane Jorisch’s books follows.

IBBY Canada is one of over 70 national sections within the International Board on Books for Young People. Each national section is invited to nominate candidates for the Hans Christian Andersen Awards, presented every other year. An international jury, comprised of 10 children’s literature experts around the world, will meet to make their selection, taking the complete work of the nominees into consideration, while adjudicating books on literary and artistic criteria. The Andersen Awards will be presented to the winners at the IBBY Congress in London, England in August 2012.

Previous Canadian nominees for the Hans Christian Andersen Awards include Brian Doyle, Pierre Pratt, Marie Louise Gay, Christiane Duchesne, Dennis Lee, Michèle Lemieux, Ian Wallace, Jean Little, Gilles Tibo, Monica Hughes, Phillipe Beha, Laszlo Gal, and Eric Beddows.

IBBY, the International Board on Books for Young People, founded in 1953, represents an international network of people committed to bringing books and children together. IBBY Canada is one of over 70 national sections worldwide. IBBY Canada is a volunteer organization promoting quality French and English Canadian children's literature nationally and internationally. For more information, please visit www.ibby-canada.org.