Iranian Literary Awards

Iranian Literary Awards

Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Award

With the aim of improving national and religious language and literature through commemorating creators of excellent and pioneer works, he Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Award was developed. Its standards are based on producing Islamic-based literary and artistic thinking and empowering critical spirit for translated works.  Every year, an award is given to the best Iranian authors on the birthday of the renowned Persian writer Jalal Al-e Ahmad by the Cultural Deputy of Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and Institute of House of Book. Categories include "Novel", "Short story", "Literary criticism" and "History and documentations".

Parvin Etesami Literary Award

With the aim of commemorating position and character of Iranian great Poet, Parvin Etesami, improving women’s literary creativity and innovation, promoting and empowering Persian Language out of Iranian borders, connecting various nations’ literature, especially in Muslim World, introducing great Iranian women literates and appreciating women who are active in Persian literature this award was introduced.

As an award special for women writers, it is given to the best Iranian woman authors on the birthday of the renowned Persian poet Parvin Etesami every year by Cultural Deputy of Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and Institute of House of Book. Categories include written and translated works by women which have been published in Persian language: poems, scripts, literary researches, stories, children literature, novels and short stories.

Hoshang Golshiri Literary Award

Hoshang Golshiri Foundation gives an award every year to works on stories published in Persian in Iran. It is one of the was most authenticated independent literary awards in Iran which was developed after demise of Golshiri in June 2000 by his wife, Farzaneh Taheri, and a number of his friends and fans. Hoshang Golishiri is one of the authors whose books were banned to publish for many years. All of his works were forbidden before his death in 2000, but after that his most books including 16 novels, scripts and stories were printed and published. Hoshang Golshiri’s Literary Award was stopped after the formal annunciation of his wife in 2014. Anyway, this literary award was used to act as a new blood for the country’s literature. There are some scholars who are hoped to revive it.

Mehregan Literary Award

Mehregan Literary Award is given every Octobers. Mehregan is the sole non-governmental award in Iran which is given in environment and science areas.

PEKA, a cooperative company active in book distribution constituting of great Iranian publishers, organized the Mehregan Award from 1999 to 2006, but when PEKA was shut down in 2006, this award is given independently through supports of Alireza Zargar (former managing director of PEKA), Shokuh Fargah, Akram Taherpur and Sudabeh Selgi. Ms. Shkuh Fargah was the first Iranian lady who turned on the first private sector’s award through her financial supports and today Dr. Akram Taherpour and Sudabeh Selgi also support Mehregan Award financially.

Year Book Award

The first year book of Iran was awarded with the aim of encouraging practitioners of Iran’s science and culture in 1955. This award was given to authors of 11 selected books which have been published 1953 and since then every year all authors, translators and authors are asked to send five copies of their books which have been published for the first time in Persian to the address of the secretariat in order to be evaluated by the jury. It was used to award in categories of sciences and techniques, humanities, social sciences- training books of children and young adults by 1978.

However, after victory of Islamic revolution in Iran it was stopped for several tears and finally after four years in 1982 it was restarted by the verdict issued by Seyed Muhammad Khatami, then minister of culture and Islamic guidance. Since then, the ceremony is held during Ten Days dawn. The objectives of the Year Book Award are introducing great cultural activists, depicting a comprehensive cultural report and comparing it with its former counterparts in order to identify weal points and strength points, helping practitioners and policy makers of cultural areas for making practical planning, directing people who are active in writing and culture.