Lennart Eng

Lennart Eng was born in Stockholm in 1950 and, following an inclination that emerged while he was still at school, studied graphic design and illustration there. In 2000, alongside his work as an illustrator for children’s literature projects by other authors, as well as for book jackets, educational materials, and non-fiction, Lennart Eng began to write his own fictional and non-fictional picture books. He has also lectured in art, art history, and the history of architecture at the Ellen-Key School in Spånga near Stockholm and is chairman of The Swedish Association of Illustrators and Graphic Designers. Lennart Eng is on the jury for the prestigious, most highly endowed international children’s literature award, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Prize.

He was awarded the Swedish Opal publisher’s award for non-fiction in 2000 for his non-fiction picture book »Myra« (t: Ant). This book gives children a glimpse into the culture and social order of ants and, in individual chapters, he examines their anatomy, organisation of labour, environment, and sub-species; he also provides tasks and activities at the end of the book designed to spark interest and curiosity in his readers to start their own expeditions and investigations.

The story book »Valdemar i världshavet« (2003, t: Valdemar in the world ocean), which was nominated in 2003 for the Swedish August Prize, continues Eng’s work as illustrator of his own texts. He describes the design of a story on the visual as well as language level as an important developmental stage in his work as an author. Valdemar is the largest animal in the ocean with its many minute denizens as well as its larger inhabitants. Yet he still feels alone and lonely, despite his size. He tries to fulfil his yearning for company by finding companions.

It is one of Lennart Eng’s main concerns to use descriptions of the lives of animals not only to discuss themes like social interaction, but above all to prompt children’s interest in nature and questions related to the natural world. This thematic and stylistic concept continues in his most recent book written together with the author Bisse Falk. »Rovjursboken de fyra stora« (2008, t: The Four Big Predators) presents facts about the four big Nordic predators, the brown bear, wolf, lynx and wolverine. Lennart Eng lives and works in Stockholm.

© international literaturefestival berlin

Världens fulaste unge
[Text: Kerstin Sundh]
Rabén & Sjörgen
Stockholm,1979

Från solgudar till svarta hål:
en rymdhistoria
[mit: Marie Rådbo]
Rabén & Sjögren
Stockholm, 1996

Myra
Opal
Bromma, 2000

Valdemar i världshavet
Opal
Bromma, 2003

Rovjursboken de fyra stora
[Text: Bisse Falk]
Opal
Bromma, 2008