Rahimizadeh, whose artwork has embellished “The Lovely Hero of Our Story”, “Mad and the Well”, “Arash”, “Rustam & Esfandiar” and many other bestsellers, was shortlisted for the award in 2016.

The Children’s Book Council of Iran has said that Rahimizadeh has received the 2022 nomination for his great ability to create narrative illustrations and works in harmony with Iranian culture, and his perfect accord with various styles of illustration.

His works have been showcased in numerous Iranian and international exhibitions around the world.    

Earlier in June, the council also picked writer Jamshid Khanian as its nominee for the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award, which is called the Nobel Prize for children’s literature.

Khanian was nominated for his key role in the formation of adolescent fiction stories, and his focus on peace, friendship, love and respect in his stories.

“Emphasis on man’s everyday concerns like immigration, isolation, death and identity, as well as the problems of the elderly and adolescents, and his special attention to middle-class families are among other topics highlighted in Khanian’s stories,” the council said. 

Khanian is a researcher and a playwright. Among his credits are “A Half Day in the Interrogation Room” and “Compass”. He is also the author of several stories, including “Money” and “Where Is My Joseph”, which have been translated into English, Russian and Polish.

Both Rahimizadeh and Khanian have previously been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, a prestigious Swedish honor to promote children’s and youths’ literature in the world.

The Hans Christian Andersen Award is presented in the categories of writing and illustration by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY).

Each winner receives the Hans Christian Andersen Medaille, a gold medal with the bust of Andersen. Medals are presented at the biennial IBBY congress. The Patron of the Andersen Awards is Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, and the awards are sponsored by Nami Island Inc.

The winners of the 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Award were Jacqueline Woodson from the U.S. as an author and Albertine from Switzerland as an illustrator.
 
Woodson has a prolific body of writing from picture books to young adult literature, all of which feature lyrical language, powerful characters and an abiding sense of hope.

Albertine creates books with multiple levels of interpretation, and with drawings made with infinite precision that are lively and full of humor.

Source: Tehran Times