Gouden Griffel for the ingenious and compelling youth novel by Yorick Goldewijk

The Gouden Griffel, the annual prize for the best children’s book, goes to the youth novel this year Movies that don’t run anywhere by writer Yorick Goldewijk. Illustrator Raoul Deleo wins the Golden Brush for his drawings in the ‘fictional travel book’ Terra Ultima. That was announced this Thursday evening in the Jeugdjournaal. The writer and illustrator will receive the prize on the eve of the Children’s Book Week.

Yorick Goldewijk wrote with Movies that don’t run anywherehis fourth children’s book, which according to the jury is „a book [is] that moves and intrigues from beginning to end”. It struck the Granger jury as ‘exceptional because of the ingenious way in which fantasy, reality and deeper themes are incorporated in a compelling adventure’. The highly constructed and layered novel tells the story of 12-year-old Cato, who ends up in a magical cinema where people can step into their memories through the screen. It is the start of a compelling adventure that en passant asks essential questions about perception, mourning and imagination.

Also read the review of Movies That Run Nowhere: In ‘memory films’ the young Cato finds comforting space

Goldewijk (1979) is a writer and musician and made his debut two years ago with his first children’s book – his breakthrough came last winter with the literary layered Movies that don’t run anywhere, which was also nominated for the Boon Youth Literature Prize. The Griffel jury chose his book over other contenders such as the picture book A sea of ​​love by Pieter Gaudesaboos, the historical youth novel The tunnel by Anna Woltz and the playful informative book Counting for your life by Edward van de Vendel and Ionica Smeets.

imaginary animals

Artist Raoul Deleo, pseudonym of visual artist Raoul de Leeuw, wins the prize for the book again with the award of the Golden Brush Terra Ultima, which earlier this year already received the Woutertje Pieterse Prize (15,000 euros). The book, in which he himself figures as an ‘explorer’ who discovers a new continent and records a visual report of it. On this unfamiliar continent, nature was allowed to run wild, producing wondrous plants and animals, from the coral panther and sea toad jellyfish to the lady bear, which Deleo captured down to the smallest imaginary detail. The Brush Jury called the “overwhelming illustrations” in Terra Ultima “true and imaginative,” a book “full of wonder that convincingly appeals to the imagination.”

Small amounts of money – 1,500 euros – are associated with the Gouden Griffel and the Gouden Penseel, but they are the most influential prizes in Dutch children’s literature in terms of reputation and appearance. The Children’s Book Week starts next Wednesday and lasts until October 16.