Experiences of Iranian Illustrators from the Bratislava Award
According to the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA), at the beginning of this session, Sahar Tarhandeh, an international jury member of illustration festivals, stated: “The Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (Kanoun) has long been a representative of the Bratislava Award in Iran, and I have witnessed how hard the international officials of Kanoun work in this regard.”
Referring to her experience attending this event and judging the works, she said: “This event was a great achievement for us, and I am happy that it happened for Iran. The Bratislava Award turned 60 this year, and with 30 years of history (biennial), it is one of the oldest and most recognized exhibitions in the world, and highly influential in the field of illustration.”
The international jury member of illustration festivals spoke about her experience as a judge at this festival: “The judging experience was interesting, and in addition to hearing the opinions of representatives from other countries, selecting the best illustration work in the world had its own specific stages, which were noteworthy.”
In another part of her speech, Tarhandeh addressed the topic of book publishing and its importance in making books visible, stating: “Institutions like Kanoun or publishers with good financial resources should be entities that create a platform for thoughtful individuals to experiment and enter the production arena in a groundbreaking way. There are publishers who invest in experimental work and operate to give a new direction to the publishing industry. The publishing market must be diverse, and a platform for innovation and experimentation should be established.”
Furthermore, Alireza Goldouzian, a veteran professor in the field of children’s and young adult book illustration, in response to the question of how we can reach our unique position, said: “The discussion of how uniqueness happens is long; it develops over time, and then shows itself in your performance style. The ability to create a unique work exists partially in our subconscious; meaning it is imprinted in our subconscious mind.”
He added: “But I think a very important part of this event is individual self-awareness, meaning we really recognize ourselves as a special person, which is rooted in our culture, and all these events begin to work in our subconscious; meaning it automatically starts creating a space for itself where this perception emerges.”
The discussion session at the Reference Library of the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, titled “Global Honors of Iranian Illustrators” and focusing on our country’s recent success in the Bratislava World Award, was held on Sunday, December 14, 2025 (23 Azar 1404).
