Janne Teller

The Danish author of Austrian-German descent was born in Copenhagen in 1964. She originally studied economics and law, and then worked as an economic and political advisor for the United Nations and the European Union around the world. In her work, she operated in endangered regions such as Tanzania, Mozambique, and Bangladesh. In 1995, she left her professional career to fully dedicate herself to literature. She currently divides her life between Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris.

After several essays, short stories, and studies, her debut novel Odin's Island, written in the style of the modern Nordic saga, was published in 1999. Since then, she has published many successful books. Her works spark lively debates worldwide. She always asks serious and uncomfortable questions, confronts the most dreadful consequences of our actions, and forces us to take a stand. She focuses on conflicts in her works that affect all of us. Her most famous work, the controversial Nothing (Intet), is not simply a young adult novel but a work that deals with serious philosophical, moral, and generational issues. Its impact was unprecedented in Denmark: it was initially banned in schools, but the year after its release (2001), it unexpectedly won the Danish Ministry of Culture's Children’s Book Award—since then, it has been mandatory reading. The controversial book became an international bestseller; in 2008, it won the French prize for Best Young Adult Novel (Le Prix Libbylit). It has been performed as a play in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and France. In Hungary, it has also been staged in several theaters and has been playing with great success for years.

Prizes:

Drassow's Prize, Denmark 2014, literary works towards peace & human understanding
Peter Pan Prize, Silverstar, Sweden 2013
Teskedsordnen, Sweden 2012, anti-fanaticism prize
Michael L. Printz Award, USA 2011, for literary excellence
Mildred L. Batchelder Award, USA 2011
Die Zeit, Luchs Preis, Germany, August 2010
Le Prix Libbylit 2008, best children's novel of the year published in French, Rien
Cultural Ministry's Prize, Denmark 2001, best children's book of the year, Intet
Tamgha-e-Pakistan by the President of Pakistan, March 23, 2021, for supporting the people of Jammu & Kashmir