YA enthusiasts rejoice: We’ll Just Ride Past by Ellen Strömberg has been shortlisted for the Andersen Prize in Italy, the most prestigious literary prize in the country.
We’ll Just Ride Past by Ellen Strömberg continues to stun the international literary scene: the Italian edition by Terre di Mezzo, in translation by Samanta Milton Knowles has been shortlisted for the Andersen Prize, the most prestigious literary prize for children’s literature in the country.
The Andersen Prize is Italy’s most prestigious literary prize for children’s literature, and it stands out as books are picked by the monthly literary magazine Andersen, along with a network of literary professionals. The prize is awarded in several categories (books for children aged 0-6, 9-12, 12+, and 15+, picture books, textless books, non-fiction, and comics) and all awarded books also compete for the Book of the Year Award (also known as Super Andersen Prize), dedicated to the memory of Gualtiero Schiaffino, the founder of both the Andersen magazine and prize.
We’ll Just Ride Past follows Manda and Malin, a duo of best friends in ninth grade. They are nicknamed The Bicycles as they cycle everywhere looking for fun and something to do in a small town where nothing ever happens. One day Malin develops a crush on a guy working at the local pizzeria, and a series on events – both fun and not so fun – begins to unfold. We’ll Just Ride Past is an accurate portrayal of a moment in life where it’s perfectly normal to change style and music taste every week and the world awaits. In Finland, the title it is published by S&S.
We’ll Just Ride Past won the August Prize, the most prestigious literary prize in Sweden, in 2022 and its rights has already been sold for Italian, Korean, Slovenian, Polish, and Catalan.
Ellen Strömberg is a Swedish-speaking Finnish author whose production ranges from picture books to novels. We’ll Just Ride Past was a domestic and international success and her latest YA novel No Beginning No End has been received with warm praise. It is the story of Benjamin, a shy teenage boy dealing with his mother’s death, as he grows close with Tristan, a mysterious boy.
Congratulations to the author and the publisher, and fingers crossed!