Levstik Award

れふすてぃくしょう

A literary award for Slovenian children's literature. Established in 1949, sponsored by Mladinska Knjiga Publishing House.

Children's literatureIllustrationChildren's non-fictionLifetime Achievement Award

Established: 1949
Organizer: Mladinska Knjiga Publishing House
Category: Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Selection Method: Selection
Target: Professional
Frequency: 2 per year
Announcement Period: around June
Status: Active

Description

The Levstik Award (Levstikova nagrada) is a literary award for Slovenian children's literature, established in 1949 by Mladinska Knjiga Publishing House. Eligible works include original literary works, illustrations, children's non-fiction, and lifetime achievements in the field of children's literature. It was awarded annually from 1949 to 1989, but biennially (every two years) since 1989. In particular, for the book category, only books published by Mladinska Knjiga may be eligible in some cases. The Lifetime Achievement Award is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the field in Slovenia since 1999.

Prize

Main Prize: Commemorative award (certificate, trophy, etc.). No public information on prize money available

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Candidate selection	Candidates selected by Mladinska Knjiga (publisher) or editorial department	—	Candidates are selected internally (details often not publicly disclosed)
Final selection	Selection committee (members appointed by the publisher)	—	Winners determined by the selection committee
Announcement		—	Announced at award ceremony, official website, or media reports

Candidate selection

Judges Candidates selected by Mladinska Knjiga (publisher) or editorial department

Announcement Candidates are selected internally (details often not publicly disclosed)

Final selection

Judges Selection committee (members appointed by the publisher)

Announcement Winners determined by the selection committee

Announcement

Judges

Announcement Announced at award ceremony, official website, or media reports

Criteria

Creativity and quality as children's literature
Artistic value and expressiveness of illustrations
Accuracy and educational value of children's non-fiction
Continuous contributions and impact for lifetime achievement

Application Tips

Dos

Check official application guidelines and eligibility conditions in advance (e.g., publisher requirements for book category)
Use expressions and structure mindful of child readers, clarify target age
For illustration category, prepare high-resolution samples and explain artistic intent
For documentary or non-fiction, clearly indicate sources and accuracy

Don''ts

Do not submit ignoring requirements (e.g., publisher-limited)
Do not send incomplete manuscripts or incorrect formats
Do not use materials that infringe on others' copyrights

From Judges

Emphasis on 'readability' as children's literature (narrative, rhythm, imagination)
Harmony of text and illustrations, consideration for audience (children)
Non-fiction evaluated on accuracy, clarity, and visual aids