TEHRAN – The secretariat of the Palestine World Prize for Literature has officially published a call for entries for its 3rd edition, Mehr reported on Tuesday. 

Established in 2018 as a non-governmental initiative, this prestigious award aims to recognize literary works related to Palestine and will be held every two years in collaboration with cultural and literary unions, as well as various associations and institutions across Islamic countries.

The 2026 edition of the award seeks to introduce and celebrate literary books published worldwide that focus on Palestine, honoring writers, poets, and publishers who advocate for the oppressed Palestinian people through their work.

A portion of the call highlights the enduring struggle for freedom: “The awakened conscience of freedom-loving people around the world bears witness to the heroic resistance of the Palestinian nation, particularly the steadfastness of the people of Gaza over the past eight decades. Today, more than ever, free peoples around the globe are concerned for the people of Palestine.”

The Palestine World Prize for Literature has been established in memory of the martyrs of the Palestinian struggle and to support the Palestinian people against the atrocities and genocides perpetrated by the Israeli regime.
 
The award aims to identify and promote the finest literary works written on themes of Palestine, the resilience of its people, and the crimes committed against them. It invites authors, poets, and publishers from around the world to join this cultural and literary movement in support of Palestine and to honor the memory of countless innocent victims, including women and children.

Eligible works must be published between 2023 and 2026 and can be submitted in various categories, including children's stories, short story collections, novels, memoirs, and published plays. The total prize amount will be $120,000.

Interested participants must submit scanned texts of their works in multiple languages—including Persian, Arabic, English, French, Russian, Malay, Urdu, Turkish, Spanish, and Chinese—either as a PDF or Word file or as two physical copies of the original book. Submissions should be made by the end of May 2026, via the award's official website at www.palintaward.com or sent to the award's secretariat offices in Tehran or Beirut.

A summary of the book must also be provided in either English or Arabic upon registration. The closing ceremony and announcement of the second International Palestine Literary Award will take place in 2026, with the exact date and location to be announced on the award's official platform.

The Palestine World Prize for Literature was established in 2018 in Iran by a collective decision of cultural organizations, writers' unions, and publications from various countries. This biennial award aims to recognize the best works published about Palestine. The first edition of this prize took place in 2022 in Beirut, followed by the second edition held in 2024 in Tehran.

SAB/