Iris Samartzi is a children’s book illustrator.
She’s been nominated twice for the Hans Christian Andersen Award (2020 HCAA and 2022 HCAA) by the Greek Section of IBBY.
She was also a candidate for the 2021 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA).
She has won many prestigious awards, including the 2016 International Compostela Prize for Picture Books, the Greek State Picture Book Award (2012, 2016) and the Greek IBBY Award (2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2023).
Tata??, her first book as an author and illustrator, won the 2021 Greek National Book Prize and has been selected by Hans Christian Andersen Award jury among the 20 best children’s books of the world.
She was one of the finalists in the Silent Book Contest 2025 for the Gianni de Conno Award, with her book “Routes”.
She is once again nominated for the ALMA 2026.
At the same time, throughout all those years, she’s been organising art workshops and book presentations for children. More about Iris and her work at www.irissamartzi.com