TEHRAN- The 26th International Storytelling Festival, organized by Iran's Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA), concluded in Yazd with the announcement of winners across various categories on Tuesday. 

The festival, aimed to promote storytelling and identify emerging talents, featured participants from Iran and eight other countries. 

The ceremony, featuring music and awards for national and international winners, also paid tribute to veteran storyteller Maryam Nashiba for her decades of contributions to storytelling and the promotion of culture and literature.

In the international section and Traditional Classic for Grandparents category, Hassan Jafari from East Azarbaijan province, Hamideh Abrishami from South Khorasan province, and Soghara Khajoinejad from Kerman province were honored. 

In the Traditional Classic category for ages 17 and above, the winners were Zeinab Rajabi from Yazd province, Faezeh Khosravi from Kerman province, and Fatemeh Mohammadi from Qazvin province. Djuma Kadjudja from Congo received an honorable mention. 

In the Traditional Classic category for ages 12 to 17, Mohammad Taha Etemadian from Yazd and Kiarash Rahbari from Semnan were recognized.

In the Modern and Innovative Storytelling category for ages 17 and above, Ali Kalout from Lebanon, Armaghan Sadat Hosseini from Qazvin, Mahdieh Keshvari Moqadam from Yazd, and Hadi Rafiei from Zanjan were selected as winners. 

In the 12 to 17 age group of the same category, Fatemeh Sadat Mirzababai from Yazd was the winner. 

For Traditional Ritual Storytelling, Sara Hosseini from Hamedan, Sahar Keikhai Javan from Sistan-Baluchestan, and Seyyed Ali Mousavi from Yazd were the winners. 

In the 12 to 17 age group of the same category, the winners were Fatemeh Mousavi Hakimabadi from Khorasan Razavi, Iman Qasemi from Isfahan, and Sarina Seifi from Tehran.

The Storytelling with Sign Language section saw Marzieh Aqakhani from Alborz, Zeinab Sabbagh from Tehran, and Leila Arzhangi from Tehran emerge as winners. 

In the Sacrifice and Resistance Storytelling category, Fatemeh Bahrani and Naimeh Bidmeshki-Yazdi, both from Yazd, alongside Maryam Mehdipour from Alborz, were recognized for their contributions. In the 12 to 17 age group, Sayda Sabzevari from Ilam and Tahoura Mahzadeh from Khorasan Razavi were announced as the winners.

The 26th edition of International Storytelling Festival themed "The Secret of Stories Shapes Life" and judged by prominent figures in the fields of literature and storytelling, awarded cash prizes, trophies, and opportunities for the winners to participate in national and international programs. 

Photo: Veteran Iranian storyteller Maryam Nashiba receives recognition at the closing ceremony of the 26th International Storytelling Festival in Yazd, on February 18, 2025. 

SAB/