good news iran: Iranian children’s books publisher Tuti wins BOP 2021 ‎

Director of Tuti Books Sahar Tarhandeh herself an author, translator and illustrator of children’s books said that it is the first time an Iranian publisher is granted the prize. Tuti Books had been nominated for the second ‎consecutive year in the event.

Bologna Children’s Book Fair–the world’s most influential and largest annual industry-facing trade show for young readers’ content–issues a group of six awards each year that are particularly prized by children’s publishers.



Every year, the winners are announced at the opening ceremony of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and prominent titles of the selected publishers are introduced through the fair’s catalog, newspapers, and social media. Same as the last year, the voting process to select the best publishers was held online and the results were announced during the 4-day period of the Book Fair which was 14-17 June for this year.



As the only selected publisher from the Middle East, Tuti Books competed in Asia alongside publishers from China, Japan, and South Korea for the best publisher of the continent. Anhui Children’s Publishing House from China, Bronze Publishing from Japan, Mirae Media & Books, and Picturebook Gongjackso, both from South Korea, were other Asian companies competing for the prize.



The BOP -“Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publishers of the Year”- was first established in the 50th anniversary of the Bologna Book Fair in 2013. It is an occasion to highlight publishers at the forefront of innovation in their activity for the creative nature of the editorial choices they have made during the previous year.



The Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publishers of the Year is comparatively young among the many Bologna awards, having been established in 2013. It has been organized by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and AIE – Italian Publishers Association in partnership with IPA – International Publishers Association, awards those publishers who have most distinguished themselves for their professional and intellectual skills in each of the six areas of the world: Africa, Central and South America, North America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.



This year’s winning children’s publishers are based in Tanzania, Switzerland, Iran, the United States, Colombia, and New Zealand.



Here’s the 2021 shortlist of the children’s publishing houses most recommended in each of the six geographical areas by publishers, publishers’ associations and institutions devoted to reading promotion worldwide:



Africa



Cassava Republic, Nigeria

Winner: Mkuki na Nyota, Tanzania

New Africa Books, South Africa

Protea Boekhuis, South Africa

Yanbow Al Kitab, Morocco



Asia



Anhui Children’s Publishing House, China

Bronze Publishing, Japan

Mirae Media & Books, South Korea

Picturebook Gongjackso, South Korea

Winner: Tuti Books, Iran



Europe



Winner: Éditions La Joie de Lire, Switzerland

Liels un Mazs, Latvia

Pato Lógico, Portugal

Samokat, Russia

Topipittori, Italy



North America



Eerdmans Publishing, USA

La Courte Échelle, Canada

Winner: Lee & Low Books, USA

Levine Querido, USA

Scholastic, USA



Central and South America



Editorial Amanuta, Chile

Ojoreja, Argentina

Pallas Editora, Brazil

Rey Naranjo, Colombia

Winner: Tragaluz Editores, Colombia



Oceania



Affirm Press, Australia

Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, Australia

Little Pink Dog Books, Australia

Magabala Books, Australia

Winner: Oratia Media, New Zealand