Pair receives Lindgren Award

Japanese illustrator Ryoji Arai and British author Philip Pullman were named the winners of the third annual Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for Literature on Wednesday.

Established by the Swedish government, the $732,515 prize is presented annually to promote children’s literature and books focusing on the rights of children.

Arai was cited for his career of illustrating children’s books with “bold, mischievous and unpredictable” images. Pullman has written nearly 20 books, starting with 1982’s “Count Karlstein.”