The executive secretary of the “Sand Fox Prize” emphasized that adults have been kept from interfering in the award process: “We made every effort to ensure that the screening committee refrained from personal judgments when compiling the book list, so as not to hinder children’s opinions.”
Tayebeh Ejei, in an interview with IRNA, spoke about the first edition of the Sand Fox Prize. The original idea was proposed by Fereydoon Amouzadeh Khalili, a seasoned expert in children’s literary awards and contributor to journals such as Docharkheh, Aftabgardan, Hodhod-e-Sefid, and Soroush-e-Nojavan. With his valuable input and by aligning with national and international literary award models, the team developed and planned the prize.
Non-fiction books are excluded from the competition
Ejei emphasized that all books submitted must be officially published in Iran with approval from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. “We designed the prize in a way that limits adult involvement, allowing children to express their opinions freely.”
As the head of the Children and Young Adults Section at BookCity, she explained: “In the first round, children and teens vote for storybooks and poetry books published between 2018 and 2022. Non-fiction titles are not included. Children cast their votes, and in the end, both an original Persian title and a translated title will be selected.”
The screening committee exercised no personal bias
Children aged 11 to 18 are eligible to vote. “To make things easier, we provided an initial list of 98 books. No personal preferences were involved in compiling this list—it was based on award-winning books over the past five years,” said Ejei.
Books were selected based on national and international awards from the past five years
The list includes high-ranking and recurring winners of national prizes such as The Flying Turtle, Bartar (Top) Book, Kanoon’s Morghak, and The Roshd Award. Some international awards were also reviewed.
“We made sure the screening committee didn’t let their personal opinions influence the final list,” she added.
Children can nominate their favorite books
Ejei noted that while the 98-title list is curated, children are encouraged to nominate additional books they feel are missing. In the first voting round, they can freely suggest and vote for other books.
We chose an online platform so children across the country can participate
The award is hosted on the Iranian app Behkhan, a social network for readers where children can review books, archive their thoughts, and join book clubs. “This online infrastructure allows children from various cities to participate and interact,” she said.
To become a juror, children must register their age (11–18) in the app and follow the Sand Fox Prize page.
Active jurors will also be recognized
Publishers are allowed to suggest up to three books for consideration. In addition to the official list and children’s nominations, a third category—Suggested by Children—has emerged, including 32 more titles. Each new book will be reviewed for publication date and age range to determine eligibility. If a book is excluded, an explanation will be provided.
The more actively children engage and review books, the higher their jury score
The first round of voting began on June 24. “We announced it just as the ceasefire was declared,” she noted. Children can vote for as many books as they’ve read and submit notes about them. “Active participation leads to a higher jury score, and we will recognize top child jurors during the closing ceremony.”
On August 5, the top five original and top five translated books will advance to the second round. This month-long phase requires children to read and assess the final ten titles. In this stage, BookCity will host gatherings where young readers can discuss and share their views in person.
Ejei confirmed that children will also participate in the final ceremony: “They’ll vote for one original and one translated book. Voting will take place transparently within the app and can be followed live online.”
UNICEF to award a special seal
She concluded by announcing a partnership with UNICEF: “Based on our agreement, the United Nations Children’s Fund will select one of the ten finalist books that best upholds children’s rights and award it a special UNICEF seal.”
Tags: Sand Fox Prize
