Emer O'Sullivan wins the International Grimm Prize for Literary Research!

Emer O'Sullivan wins the International Grimm Prize for Literary Research!

Today, July 7, 2025, Professor Emer O’Sullivan from Leuphana University Lüneburg was awarded the 20th International Brothers Grimm Prize. The jury, consisting of international researchers, recognized her groundbreaking contributions to international children's literature research. O'Sullivan's works are published in both languages, German and English, and integrate diverse perspectives from comparative literature, translation studies and imagology. The latter deals with ideas about other cultures, an aspect that has often been neglected in children's literature.

The international Grimm Prize, which has been awarded by the International Institute for Children's Literature in Osaka since 1987, rewards outstanding research in the field of children's and young adult literature. The award was first presented in 1986, on the occasion of Wilhelm Grimm's 200th birthday, and comes with prize money of 1 million yen, which is equivalent to around 6,000 euros. Emer O’Sullivan will have the honor of accepting the award in Osaka in 2026. During her trip to Japan, she also plans to give a lecture in Tokyo.

Awards and recognition

In addition to receiving the Grimm Prize, O'Sullivan was recently named an Honorary Fellow by the International Research Society for Children's and Young People's Literature (IRSCL). Her habilitation thesis “Children’s Literary Comparative Studies,” which deals with theoretical and methodological approaches in children’s literature, has already been awarded the IRSCL Prize for outstanding research. The English edition of her work also received the Children’s Literature Association (USA) Book Prize in 2007.

Her scientific approach shows that research into children's books not only produces literary insights, but also influences other disciplines such as media studies and education. The interdisciplinary perspective plays a central role in the research of children's and young adult literature.

Interdisciplinary research on children's literature

As part of a research cluster on children's and youth literature, the aim is to promote interdisciplinary research in this area. Children's and youth literature is viewed here as an aesthetic-literary, media, social, psychological, historical and educational phenomenon. This research approach makes it possible to network various disciplines through children's and young adult literature.

Media studies focus on the inter- and transmedia character of children's literature, while historical perspectives examine the development of concepts of childhood. Didactic approaches, in turn, are dedicated to the pedagogical and aesthetic demands placed on children's and young people's literature. These aspects are crucial for interdisciplinary school teaching in subjects such as German, philosophy and history.

The expansion of the children's and youth literature collection is supported by networking research activities via the Oldenburg Research Center for Children's and Youth Literature (OlFoKi) and close cooperation with Oldenburg libraries, in particular with the archive of the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg. The scientific support of the Oldenburg Children's and Youth Book Fair (KIBUM) with conferences, exhibitions and publications also shows the great commitment in this field of research.

The excellent work of Emer O'Sullivan and the ongoing interdisciplinary initiatives underline the outstanding importance of children's and youth literature research. For more information about her award and current research developments, see the articles by Leuphana, kinderundjugendmedien.de and uol.de.