British children’s author and poet Michael Rosen has been announced as the winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Literary Award.

According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, Michael Rosen, the British writer and poet known for works such as We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Chocolate Cake, has been selected as the winner of the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Award in the writing category in recognition of his lifetime contribution to children’s literature.

The Guardian reported that Rosen is the fourth British author to receive the award.

The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), which announces a winner every two years, said in a statement: “Throughout his body of work, including poetry, novels, and non-fiction, Rosen invites children into literature, encourages empathy, and creates space for discussions about history, family, loss, identity, and society.”

In this edition, Iranian author Ahmad Akbarpour was also nominated for the award and reached the shortlist of five finalists.

Alongside Michael Rosen, Chinese illustrator Cai Gao was also announced as the winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award in the illustration category.

A notable aspect of this year’s ceremony was that Rosen missed the award announcement event in Bologna due to passport regulation changes following Brexit.

The author told The Independent: “The story had a happy ending, because when I got home, one of the first calls I received was from an Italian woman who told me I had won the Hans Christian Andersen Award.”

Rosen was selected from 78 nominees across 44 countries as this year’s winner.