The Fallow Deer Literary Awards were conferred on a children’s educational book collection authored by Mohammad Haji Mohammadi and published by Chista publication, and the translation of children’s story collection, ‘Letters From Felix’ by Mahboubeh Najafkhani.
About 100 selected works in the 9th to 12th series of the ‘Flying Turtle’ book lists for children and young adults provided seasonally were sent to the competition, organized by the Iranian Association of Writers for Children and Youth.
Top 10 books were selected and two were awarded, ISNA reported.
What is unusual about the awards is that families and children participate in the selection of the most deserving works.
Fereidoun Amuzadeh-Khalili, head of IAWCY, said in a society where parents are preoccupied with their individual hobbies, such awards motivate them to encourage their children to read. “It would be nice if events like these move away from their symbolic concepts and become a public movement in reading.”
Ali-Asghar Seyedabadi, author and poet said: “The idea of the awards and the selection process of the books came about by chance when we found that our children often do not agree with the jury choice of the books selected!” So it was decided to involve kids and their families.
Banafsheh Mahmoudi, one of the founders of the award, said book lovers are slowly becoming extinct just like the Iranian fallow deer. “Reminding us of the gradual degradation of nature, the concept of the award is to focus on story books and book reading which is slowly being demolished under the shadow of modern digital devices.”
