The ECO Cultural Institute (ECI), in a major step toward strengthening cultural solidarity among its member states, is organizing the first international event of the "ECO Book of the Year 2026," with the central theme of "Folk Legends and Traditional Stories for Children and Young Adults".
According to the ECI's public relations portal, this event, which serves as a platform for the creative recreation of the region's ancient narratives, seeks to consolidate the shared cultural identity among the future generations of ECO member states by preserving folklore treasures.
Based on the executive structure of this event, the submission of works is not through a public call, and participation requires formal introduction by the governments and competent authorities of the member states including: Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Each member state will introduce one eligible book title to the secretariat through their relevant national organization s or their embassy in Tehran.
It should be noted that all details regarding the acceptance criteria for works, the introduction procedure, the digital and physical submission steps, and the established deadlines have been officially communicated to the competent authorities in the member states by the "ECO Book of the Year 2026" secretariat. According to the announced schedule, the deadline for submitting digital files is September 22, 2026, and the deadline for delivering the physical copies of the works to the secretariat is October 22, 2026.
The official ceremony for this event, accompanied by a specialized exhibition of selected works, will be held in Tehran in November 2026 with the presence of the creators, and the winners will be honored with international awards and certificates of appreciation.