TEHRAN – The Persian translation of Swedish children’s book writer Asa Lind's book series “The Sand Wolf” has won the gold prize of the 9th edition of the Flying Turtle Awards.

The Book City Institute and the Children’s Literature Studies Periodical are the organizers of the Flying Turtle Awards, which are presented annually to top children’s books in Iran.

Winners were honored virtually on the Book City Institute’s Instagram on Friday.

“The Sand Wolf” contains a number of warm-hearted, poetic stories about a friendship between a boy and a sand wolf.

Published by Parian, the collection has been translated into Persian by Namdar Nasser-Qasri.

Lind attended an exhibition named “Traces of the North, Nordic Days in Tehran” at the Iranian Artists Forum in June 2019, reading an excerpt from the book series.

The jury of the Flying Turtle Awards also honored four other books with silver prizes.

One of the books was “Panorama: A Foldout Book” co-written by Fani Marceau and Joëlle Jolivet. The book has been rendered into Persian by Mohammad-Nasser Modudi.

This book folds out into a single panorama that takes the reader from India to Ecuador and from Iceland to Romania. An innovative format and a breathtaking concept meet in this trip around the world and back again.

“Confessions of an Imaginary Friend” by American writer Michelle Cuevas is another winner of a silver prize.

The book has been translated into Persian by Zahra Chupankareh. The story is about Jacques Papier and his sister, who are hated by everybody. When he comes across a cowgirl at the park who informs him that he’s an imaginary friend just like her, Jacques’s world is forever changed.

A Persian translation of Sam Gayton’s “The Snow Merchant” by Sara Qanavati also won a silver prize.

The story is about an alchemist who peddles a new magical invention and the key that could unlock Lettie Peppercorn’s family secrets in this quirky tale of self-discovery, family and friendship.

Alireza Golduzian won a silver prize for his illustrations for a Persian translation of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish’s “Think of Others” by Hossein Mottaqi.

Photo: This combination photo shows the front covers of the Persian translation of Asa Lind’s book series “The Sand Wolf”. 

MMS/YAW