First Chinese Hans Christian Andersen Award winner meets Canadian readers

On August 8 local time, 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration laureate Cai Gao appeared at the China Rural Reading exhibition area during the IBBY World Congress, meeting with overseas readers for her first public event since receiving the award.

As the first Chinese artist to win the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, Cai Gao engaged with readers in a warm and down-to-earth manner, sharing her creative work and experiences of everyday life.

More than 20 of her representative works, including Bao'er and The Story of Birth, have been translated into more than 10 languages, with publishing rights sold in North America, Europe, South Asia and the Middle East. Her distinctive visual storytelling rooted in Chinese culture has won wide recognition from the international publishing community and readers.

Petra Flach, director general of BIBIANA, the Slovak International House of Art for Children and the organizing body of the Bratislava International Biennial of Illustrations (BIB), came on stage to present Cai Gao with a special commemorative gift.

Young international readers, Chinese families, overseas children's book professionals and local picture-book creators gathered at the front to interact with Cai Gao and have their books signed. The cross-border exchange came to a warm close amid the enthusiastic interaction.