Swede Jakob Wegelius was awarded the Children and Young People’s Literature Prize for the novel The Murderer’s Ape.

He was handed the Northern Lights statuette and DKK 350,000 prize by last year’s winners, author Hakon Øvreås and illustrator Øyvind Torseter.

The Adjudication Committee wrote:

“The Murderer’s Ape injects a new lease of life into the classic adventure story. Along with a gorilla named Sally Jones, the reader visits the run-down docks of Lisbon, embarks on dizzying journeys across the seven seas, and calls on the Maharaja of Bhapur’s magnificent court – all in an attempt to clear the name of Sally’s best friend, the sailor Henry Koskela. Through his love of narrative and fine knack for portraying character, the author brings early-20th-century history to life, with a particularly keen and curious eye for the new-fangled technology of the day. Detailed portraits and vignettes, as well as maps that chart Sally’s adventures, make this a book that is as visual as it is literary.”

Read more about Jakob Wegelius on the  Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize website

Read more about the Nordic Council prizes