Vanessa Foundation

The Vanessa Foundation (Vanessastiftelsen) is a Finnish foundation established in April 2016 by Linda Ramadani and Tua Forsström, together with Moomin Characters. It was founded in memory of Vanessa, a young girl who loved books and who died of leukemia in 2015 at the age of nine. The foundation's purpose is to promote children's and youth literature in Swedish in Finland, as well as reading comprehension among children and young people. Its most visible activity is the Vanessa Prize (Vanessapriset), a €10,000 award given for meritorious contributions to Swedish-language children's and youth literature and reading comprehension in Finland. The prize is awarded at the Helsinki Book Fair; the sixth edition is scheduled for 2026. Nominations are open to the public and are accepted by the prize committee. The foundation is based in Finland and operates nationally, with a focus on the Swedish-speaking community. It collaborates with Moomin Characters, which co-founded the foundation. The foundation's work is rooted in a personal story of loss and a desire to share Vanessa's love of reading with others.

The Vanessa Foundation was founded in April 2016 by Linda Ramadani and Tua Forsström, together with Moomin Characters. It was established in memory of Vanessa, a nine-year-old girl who was diagnosed with leukemia in April 2015 and died a few months later. Vanessa loved books, and her mother and grandmother often read to her, and later she read to them. The foundation was created to preserve her world of books and to share it with others. Its purpose is to promote children's and youth literature in Swedish in Finland and reading comprehension among children and young people. The foundation's main activity is the Vanessa Prize (Vanessapriset), a €10,000 award given for meritorious contributions to Swedish-language children's and youth literature and reading comprehension in Finland. The prize is awarded at the Helsinki Book Fair. The first prize was awarded in 2016 to illustrator and author Linda Bondestam. Subsequent winners include author Annika Sandelin (2018), library pedagogue Lena Sågfors and special librarian Mikaela Wickström (2020), children's book critics Maria Lassén-Seger and Mia Österlund (2022), and author Malin Klingenberg (2024). The sixth edition of the prize is scheduled to be awarded at the Helsinki Book Fair in 2026, with nominations accepted until 15 September 2026. The foundation is based in Finland and operates nationally, focusing on the Swedish-speaking community. It collaborates with Moomin Characters, which co-founded the foundation.

• 2026

  The sixth Vanessa Prize is scheduled to be awarded at the Helsinki Book Fair; nominations are accepted until 15 September 2026.

• 2024

  Author Malin Klingenberg receives the Vanessa Prize.

• 2022

  Children's book critics Maria Lassén-Seger and Mia Österlund receive the Vanessa Prize.

• 2020

  Library pedagogue Lena Sågfors and special librarian Mikaela Wickström receive the Vanessa Prize.

• 2018

  Author Annika Sandelin receives the Vanessa Prize.

• 2016

  The Vanessa Foundation is founded in April by Linda Ramadani and Tua Forsström, together with Moomin Characters.

• 2016

  The first Vanessa Prize is awarded to illustrator and author Linda Bondestam.

• 2015

  Vanessa is diagnosed with leukemia in April and dies a few months later.

A non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting Swedish-language children's and youth literature and reading comprehension in Finland.

1. 1Vanessastiftelsenvanessastiftelsen.fi
2. 2Vanessa Foundation - Wikidatawikidata.org