Held in conjunction with the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF), the annual competition has become one of the most prominent international stages for emerging illustrators.

This year, organizers received 2,828 entries from 78 different countries. From these, the jury selected 50 works for the publishing section and 19 for the commercial category.

The Iranian finalists are Parvin Heydarizadeh, Mojdeh Kianzadeh, Bahareh Sa’adatmandi, Maryam Mahmoudi-Moghadam, and Najla Mahdavi-Ashraf. Mahdavi-Ashraf’s illustrations for A Sun in the Turkmen Desert, published by the institute, were included in the publishing section’s shortlist.

Launched in 2015, the Golden Pinwheel aims to create connections between illustrators and publishers worldwide. Beyond the competition itself, it also organizes exhibitions, prints annual catalogs, and runs promotional initiatives to spotlight new talent.

This year’s jury consists of eight professionals from China, South Korea, Italy, Belgium, the United States, and Germany. The winners will be revealed at the book fair, with the highest honors awarded to one Chinese illustrator and one international participant, in addition to a special jury prize and a public choice award.

The selected artworks will be showcased in an official catalog and displayed during the Shanghai fair from November 14 to 16, 2025, as part of the Golden Pinwheel exhibition.