2014 Nikolaus Heidelbach

Books are not just texts but also something physical that you can hold in your hands, feel and sense. They hide and contain memories. The books that we remember the best are books from our childhood; books that have proven themselves to be alive over time – not just because of the content but also because of the paper quality, the lettering, the smells, the pictures and the colors. In this way they become part of us, part of our past.

Nikolaus Heidelbach is not just one of our most well-known illustrators but also one of our best ”book-creators” with a special focus on our childhood. For Hans Christian Andersen and for all of us who love Andersen, it is a great joy that Heidelbach has this ability to create books that clearly show our present-day time in these old stories. His illustrations are easy to understand but beneath the surface they show masterful details and very artistic illusions. Heidelbachs own and recognizable style adds to the fairy tales of Andersen nor just colors and shapes but also forms that present a congenial figurative language that clearly match the simple, yet complex story behind the fairy tale.