Three Bulgarians are entering the race for the Astrid Lindgren award in competition with 251 candidates from 64 countries, the Bulgarian news agency BTA reports. The nominations include some of the foremost names in literature for children in the world. The Bulgarian nominations are novelist and screenwriter Julia Spiridonova, and illustrators Iassen Ghiuselev and Stella Dreis. The winner will be announced in March this year.

Iassen Ghiuselev, one of the top illustrators in the world, works with the most prestigious international publishers. He has been living and working in Italy, illustrating books as well as magazines in Milan, Turin and Florence. He made a breakthrough with his illustrations for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The Canadian edition was awarded a silver medal by the American Society of Illustrators and the Grand Prix by the American Institute of Graphic Art for book cover.

• Iassen Ghiuselev, an illustrator of world classics

The other Bulgarian contender Julia Spiridonova is a freelance novelist and screenwriter. She is the author of many shows for children aired by public service TV BNT.

Stella Dreis is a Bulgarian illustrator who lives in Germany with a multitude of international awards to her name.

Compiled by Veneta Nikolova