Tehran of the Iranian Writers Association for Iranian Children and Young People for the 2026 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) – was announced on Monday.
Author Seyyed Navid Seyed Ali-Akbar was nominated for the Author category, and the “Joyful Alley” (Kooche-Ye Shadi) project in Evas, County Fars, was nominated for a Promoter’s Reading Competition. Both will compete for the prestigious Swedish awards for children’s literature around the world, Isna reported.
In a press release, the association announced that Seyyed Ali-Akbar is recognized as a young and prolific writer with diverse experiences in children’s literature.
His work seriously blends reality with imagination and humor, portraying children and adolescents as complete individuals with independent thinking, experiences and their own worlds.
His story delves into more complex themes such as individual differences, the need for respect and acceptance, social concerns, and the importance of relationships, while addressing everyday themes related to children.
The selection committee initially considered nominating the city of Evas itself in Fars and nominating itself for its cultural characteristics and continued efforts to promote reading. However, after consulting with important figures at the city’s leading promotion initiative, they decided to present the “Joyful Alley” project instead.
“Joyful Alley” is a parenting initiative that exemplifies urban and cultural innovations born from local trust and collaboration, introducing children as active and responsible citizens within the community.
This project not only increases children’s literacy and creativity, but also creates spaces for dialogue, learning and play, and promotes the growth of both individuals and groups.
Seyyed Navid Seyyed-Ali-Akbar, 42, is a writer, translator and storytelling teacher for children. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Writers for Children and Youth (2012-2014 and 2018-2020). He was a literary reviewer for several children’s magazines and is now the cultural director of Hoopa Publishing.
A small city in South Fars with a long history of promoting reading, Evas has established himself as a book-loving city through knowledge sharing, strengthening libraries, building local libraries, and the efforts of community volunteers on innovative projects such as “Joyful Alley.” The title “Creative City of Books and Reading” has been awarded several times. The city was previously designated as Iran’s ninth book.
(In July, the Iranian Children’s Council announced the nominees for the 2026 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award).
The Council will present Ahman Arian in the Writer category, and Hoda Haddady will present as a nominee for the prestigious Swedish Prize in Children’s Literature in the Illustrator category.
It is important to note that the Institute for Children’s Literary History Research and Institute for Intellectual Development in Children and Young Adults (IIDCY-KANOON), as well as the Association of Writers for Children and Youth in Iran and the Iranian Children’s Book Council also retain the nomination rights of Alma on behalf of Iran.
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (Alma) reaches 5 million SEK (approximately 570,000 euros), making it the world’s largest award for literature for children and young adults.
The award was founded in 2002 by the Swedish National Council for Culture and commemorates Swedish author Astrid Lindgren and promotes literature for children and young people all over the world.
The nomination process begins in March 2025, and each year around 250 individuals and organizations around the world are nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. The candidates are authors, illustrators, oral storytellers and reading promoters.
The winner will be selected by the ju-describers and announced later this year. The awards ceremony usually takes place the following spring. Winning Alma not only brings significant prize money, but also international recognition for the awardee’s work in promoting the rights of children of young readers around the world and fostering a love of literature.
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