Australian children book illustrator Shaun Tan Tuesday received his Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award from the hands of Swedish Crown Princess Victoria in Stockholm Concert Hall.

“Shaun Tan is a master visual storyteller, pointing the way ahead to new possibilities for picture books,” said Larry Lempert, Chairman of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award jury at the awarding ceremony.

“His pictorial worlds constitute a separate universe where nothing is self-evident and anything is possible. Memories of childhood and adolescence are fixed reference points, but the pictorial narrative is universal and touches everyone, regardless of age,” Lempert read at the grand awarding ceremony.

Tan said after receiving the prize that “this prize is both for children and for adult,” stressing that there is darkness in life, but if one can expose the darkness, shed light on it, the darkness can become lighter.

Tan has described immigrant children’s life in his book since he himself is a Chinese immigrant’s son.

Tan was born in 1974. His father is a Chinese immigrant and his mother is an Australian.

He has illustrated more than 20 books including The Rabbits (1998), The Lost Thing (2000), The Red Tree (2001), The Arrival ( 2006) and Tales from Outer Suburbia (2008).

The Chinese Calligraphy Concert 2011, among the activities being held to celebrate the 40 anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Austria, was held here Monday, attracting nearly 1,000 local people from all walks of life.

The concert, sponsored by the Austria-China Association for Cultural Exchanges, combined traditional Chinese music and dancing with a live performance of Chinese calligraphy conducted by Li Binquan, a member of the Chinese Calligraphers Association.

Chinese calligraphy is an important component of Chinese culture that has been enlisted into Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

The concert was a rare occasion for local audiences to enjoy a mixture of music and Chinese calligraphy.

Garden layout, porcelain and many other Chinese elements were included in the concert held at Vienna’s Hofburg Palace.

It was divided into 16 chapters with each staging a performance featuring a famous Chinese song or a traditional Chinese musical instrument, coupled with a display of ancient costumes, a court dance or Peking opera.

To the accompaniment of music, Li wrote his stylish calligraphy.

Jeschko Brigitte, a member of the audience, told Xinhua the artistic combination of music and Chinese calligraphy made it easier for her to comprehend the Chinese form of arts.

Richard Trappl, a professor of the University of Vienna, gave a thumbs- up sign, saying the concert was a worthwhile effort to help Europeans better understand Chinese history and culture.

Li Yugang, a famous Chinese artist, also gave a performance. His melodious tone, elegant appearance and graceful posture held his audience captive during the performance.

According to concert organizers, the art form of combining music with calligraphy was created by calligrapher Li with the aim to promote Chinese calligraphy.