TEHRAN – Iran has announced its nominees for the 2020 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, a prestigious Swedish honor to promote children’s and youths’ literature in the world.

The nominees are celebrated writer Mohammadreza Shams and children’s literature expert and reading promoter Mehdi Hejvani.

The nominees have been selected by the Iranian Association of Writers for Children and Youth.

The decision was announced in a meeting held at the association by deputy director Mahmud Barabadi on Monday.

Shams is the writer of the acclaimed books “Wedding” and “Lazy Hero”. Also among his credits are “A Basket of Apple”, “Dream and the Boy”, “Legend of Sly Fox” and “Fox and Rooster”. 

Hejvani is a writer and researcher. He is most famous for his reviews of children’s books. He is also the author of the children’s books “Mr. Ahmad” and “Late King, New King”. 

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award amounts to SEK 5 million (about €570,000), making it the world’s largest award for children’s and young adults’ literature.

The award was established in 2002 by the Swedish National Council for Cultural Affairs to commemorate writer Astrid Lindgren and to promote children’s and youths’ literature from around the world.

The list of the candidates will be presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2019.

The Iranian literati Jamshid Khanian, Ali-Asghar Seyyedabadi, Farhad Hassanzadeh and Hushang Moradi Kermani were Iran’s nominees for the 2019 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

Iran’s nominations for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award are selected every year by the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, the Iranian Association of Writers for Children and Youth, and the Children’s Book Council of Iran. 

Photo: This combination photo shows Iranian writers Mehdi Hejvani (L) and Mohammadreza Shams. 

RM/MMS/YAW