About us

AUTILLUS – Association of Swiss children’s authors and illustrators – was founded in 1996 out of a desire to look beyond one’s own desk, to meet other creatives and to exchange experiences. Today, we count over 140 authors and illustrators from all over Switzerland who work professionally in the field of children’s and youth literature.

AUTILLUS strives to promote networking among children’s and young adult book creators and facilitate their collaboration with other institutions and organisations. We also represent Swiss children’s and young adult literature in Switzerland and abroad and are committed to promoting literacy and reading.

As of 2022, we are a nominating body for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. AUTILLUS is also the initiator of Storytelling Schweiz, the AUTILLUS Picture Book Competition and many other events, both large and small, related to children’s and young adult literature.

Mission

WE STAND FOR A CREATIVE SWITZERLAND

Reading, writing, and illustration promote mental health and emotional resilience. Whether creating books or enjoying them, interaction with literature and art deepens our understanding of different perspectives, stimulates curiosity and self-reflection, and helps us process our feelings. It also enables us to develop new ideas, formulate original thoughts, and find unconventional solutions. These aspects are essential for the cultural and creative development of our society.

WE WORK TO STRENGTHEN THE CENTRAL ROLE OF CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH LITERATURE IN EDUCATION

Authors and illustrators work both indirectly and directly with teachers and parents to foster a new generation of readers and to facilitate literacy.

WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH BOOKS ARE WIDELY READ AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE

Reading and language skills are fundamental for many areas of life. Both are acquired to a significant extent through children’s and youth literature. Access to children’s and young adult literature is therefore not a privilege, but a necessary foundation for a functional and sustainable society. By promoting children’s and young adult literature, we ensure that it retains its role as an educational and developmental basis in the public consciousness.

Management Board

Jyoti Guptara

President

Stefan Bachmann

Co-President

Anne-Friederike Heinrich

Management Board

René Schurtenberger

Management Board

Bruno Waldvogel-Frei

Management Board

Team

Viola Rohner

Auditor

Sandra Güttinger

Treasurer

Christine Rothenbühler

Administration

Links and Resources

Technical literature

Grammatik der Phantasie – Die Kunst, Geschichten zu erfinden by Gianni Rodari

Illustration – 100 Wege einen Vogel zu malen by Felix Scheinberger

Manuale dell’illustratore – Come pubblicare album per bambini by Anna Castagnoli

Checklist for organizers of literary events

Discuss the following with the visiting author or illustrator in advance:

The date
The fee
For which age group the reading is suitable
The journey and possibly the accommodation, if the visiting presenter is coming from far away
How to get to the event, whether by pick-up or public transportation
The procedure and duration of the reading
Who will moderate or interview during the event
Maximum number of listeners (recommendation for school readings: no more than two school classes, i.e. 50 students per reading)
How the room should be furnished and what type of seating is most suitable
Which materials and technical aids are required
How the classes can best prepare, whether they should already know passages from the book that will be presented, other works by the author, or biographical information

(Don’t forget: water to drink!)

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS / OFFER MODULES

General Terms and Conditions and the corresponding offer for the illustration profession:

AUTILLUS has drawn up the GTC and the quotation modules together with IllustratorInnen Schweiz and had them translated into French and English. The documents serve illustrators as the basis for a business relationship. It should be noted that the documents are licensed under Creative Commons (CC). The legal conditions are explained in detail in German.

PDF Download

Portals

Children’s and youth media
kinderundjugendmedien.de

Jugendbuch-Couch
jugendbuch-couch.de

Büchereule
buechereule.de

Ich mach was mit Kinderbüchern
de-de.facebook.com/wasmitkinderbuechern

Roman d’école / Schulhausroman
romandecole.ch

British scbwi
britishscbwi.org

European Illustrators
europeanillustrators.eu

European Illustrators Forum
illu.org

Further training / promotion

Junges Literaturlabor JULL