Arbeitskreis für Jugendliteratur e. V.

The Arbeitskreis für Jugendliteratur (AKJ) is a central institution in the German-speaking area that has been committed to the promotion and dissemination of children's and youth literature for decades.

• Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis: Since 1956, the AKJ has awarded the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis annually, which honors outstanding works of children's and youth literature. The prize is endowed with 72,000 euros and is awarded in various categories such as picture book, children's book, youth book, and non-fiction[2][4].
• Literanauten: The Literanauten project is a nationwide reading promotion project that invites young people to actively participate. It focuses on a peer-to-peer approach, where reading-oriented young people are organized into reading clubs, literature juries, or writing groups to inspire other children and young people to engage with books[1][4].
• Translation Workshop: The AKJ, in collaboration with the Deutscher Übersetzerfonds and the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin, organizes an annual translation workshop, inviting up to 15 translators from around the world to learn about current trends in German-speaking children's and youth literature and to address translation issues[3][4].
• Seminars and Symposia: The AKJ regularly hosts seminars and symposia on current topics in children's and youth literature aimed at mediators from the fields of bookselling, libraries, education, research, journalism, and publishing[3].

The main mission of the AKJ is to ensure that all children and young people have access to literature and can grow through engagement with books. The AKJ aims to provide guidance and a qualitative selection of literary works, as made possible by the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis. Additionally, it advocates for the empowerment of dedicated mediators and the promotion of participation and peer reading role models[3][4].

• Promotion of Authors: The AKJ annually awards the Kranichsteiner Children's Literature Scholarships and Children's Literature Scholarships to authors who have already published convincing titles but have not yet established a strong market position[3].
• International Collaboration: As the German section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), the AKJ is engaged in international networks to promote children's and youth literature globally[3].
• Participation in Book Fairs and Book Exhibitions: The AKJ actively participates in book fairs and book exhibitions to maintain public interest in children's and youth literature and to stimulate discussion[3].

The Arbeitskreis für Jugendliteratur is thus a central platform that comprehensively advocates for the promotion, dissemination, and international networking of children's and youth literature to support the personal development of children and young people through literature.

• 1 - https://www.jugendliteratur.org/literanauten/c-164
• 2 - https://www.jugendliteratur.org/_files_media/akj_publikationen_pdf/djlp2022_nominierungsbroschuere_web_55.pdf
• 3 - https://www.germanistik-im-netz.de/informieren/detail/institution/arbeitskreis-jugendliteratur/
• 4 - https://www.jugendliteratur.org
• 5 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinder-_und_Jugendliteratur