The announcement comes after a national review concluded the center’s long‑standing contribution deserves international recognition.

The council, which serves as Iran’s IBBY national section, selected the center following a competitive process involving a jury of experts including Fatemeh Chaykar, Roya Shahri, Neda Movahedipour, Jafar Tozande‑Jani and Abdolhakim Bahar.

The IBBY‑Asahi award, sponsored by the Asahi Shimbun of Japan, is bestowed biennially to groups whose efforts deliver sustained impact in reading promotion for children and youth worldwide. Winners receive a diploma and US $10,000 at the IBBY Congress.

Iran previously won the prize in 2016, when its "Read with Me" program led by Zohreh Ghaeni was honored.

The nominated center, known for its expansive “Book in Circulation” scheme, brings books and educational games to remote villages and nomadic settlements in provinces such as South Khorasan, Lorestan and Khuzestan. Mobile sacks of reading materials are rotated weekly among schools and homes. Local teachers manage the collections, nurturing a love of reading deep within underserved communities.

Zohreh Ghaeni, head of the Read with Me project and co‑author of Iran’s research on the history of children's literature, has commended the center’s ability to "build trust" among rural families. The center’s methodical outreach and sustainable model underpin its qualifications for the award

It is the third time the organization has represented Iran for the Asahi award, after nominations in 2022 and again in 2024.

No Iranian finalist has yet secured the final award since Read with Me’s win in 2016.

Preparations are under way to forward Iran’s nomination dossier to the IBBY Executive Committee ahead of their selection meeting. A decision on the 2026 award is expected by mid‑2026, likely coinciding with the next IBBY Congress.