The IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award is given biennially to two groups or institutions whose outstanding activities are judged to be making a lasting contribution to reading promotion programmes for children and young people. The Award was established in 1986  and is sponsored by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.

Nominations are submitted by the National Sections of IBBY and may include reading promotion projects from any part of the world. The jury consists of members of the IBBY Executive Committee. The prize of US$ 10,000 and a diploma is presented to the winners at the biennial IBBY Congress.

The awards are judged on several criteria:

  • How well does the project support IBBY’s Mission?
  • Is there existing or possible support for the project from other funding sources?
  • Has the project been in existence for at least two years prior to its nomination? Is the project sustainable? Does it provide a framework for growth?
  • What is the impact of the project? Does it reach its stated target audience?
  • Is the project original and innovative?
  • Can the project provide a model for others? Is it easily replicated? Are any printed materials available and are they of high literary quality?
  • Can the results of the project be evaluated?

In 2016, Read with Me from Iran and Big Brother Mouse from Luang Prabang City, Laos were the two winning projects of this precious award among 11 nominees.

IBBY-Asahi Award Winners 1998-2016

۲۰۱۶ Read with Me (Iran)
۲۰۱۶ Big Brother Mouse (Laos)
۲۰۱۴ The Children’s Book Bank (Canada)
۲۰۱۴ PRAESA (S. Africa)
۲۰۱۲ Abuelas Cuentacuentos  (Argentina)
۲۰۱۲ SIPAR (Cambodia)
۲۰۱۰ Taller de las Letras Jordi Sierra i Fabra Foundation (Colombia)
۲۰۱۰ Osu Children’s Library Fund (Ghana)
۲۰۰۸ Editions Bakame (Rwanda)
۲۰۰۸ Action with Lao Children (Laos)
۲۰۰۶ All of Poland Reads to Kids (Poland)
۲۰۰۶ Mongolian Children’s Mobile Library (Mongolia)
۲۰۰۴ First Words in Print (S. Africa)
۲۰۰۳ Sister Libraries (Bolivia)
۲۰۰۲ Por el derecho a leer/For the right to read (Argentina)
۲۰۰۱ Children’s Reading Development Programme in the Pechenga District 1992-2002 (Russia)
۲۰۰۰ Tambogrande – Sowing a Reading Field (Peru)
۱۹۹۹ Library on Wheels for Nonviolence and Peace (Palestine)
۱۹۹۸ Fureai Bunko Braille Library (Japan)
۱۹۹۷ Lis avec moi! (France)
۱۹۹۶ The Little Library (S. Africa)
۱۹۹۵ Fundalectura  (Colombia)
۱۹۹۴ Portable Library Project (Lebanon)
۱۹۹۳ Grupo de Animación a la Lectura (Spain)
۱۹۹۲ Opération Lecture Publique (Mali)
۱۹۹۱ AWIC Children’s Library Project (India)
۱۹۹۰ Home Libraries Project (Zimbabwe)
۱۹۸۹ Portable Library Project (Thailand)
۱۹۸۸ Banco del Libro (Venezuela)

This post is also available in: Persian