Egyptian Illustrator Esraa Hedery Wins BolognaRagazzi Award for ‘Ana’

Egyptian visual artist and children’s book illustrator Esraa Hedery has won the BolognaRagazzi Award in the Non-Fiction category. Hedery was recognised for her illustrations in the book ‘Ana’ (‘Who Am I?’), written by Qais Al-Hinti and published by Al Salwa Publishers.

Judged by international publishing professionals, the BolognaRagazzi Awards are widely regarded as one of the most important global prizes for illustrated children’s books. The awards include five permanent categories—Fiction, Non-Fiction, Opera Prima, Comics, and Toddler—alongside a special category for 2026, ‘Fairy Tales & Fables’. This year’s competition received more than 4,120 submissions from 73 countries.

'Ana’ is a philosophy-style nonfiction book for young readers that explores identity through questions, reflection, and visual storytelling.

Hedery’s win marks the first time an Egyptian female illustrator has received the BolognaRagazzi Award since the prize was established in 1966. The last Egyptian illustrator to receive a BolognaRagazzi honour was Helmi El-Touni, who won in the ‘New Horizons’ category in 2002.