Awards of Tamer Institute over the Years
When Tamer Institute for Community Education began its work in the late 1980s, awards were not among its goals. Its primary concern was to open a window of light for Palestinian children in a time burdened by siege, as well as to provide safe spaces for them to learn and express themselves. Yet over the years, the Institute’s impact in the fields of education, culture, and children’s literature became visible at both the Arab and international levels, and this was reflected in several awards that highlight its contribution to building a reading and creative Palestinian society.
Tamer Institute did not treat awards as symbolic gains but rather perceived them as global recognition of Palestine’s cultural voice: evidence of the ability of Palestinian children and youth to become the narrators of their own story. Thanks to this recognition, Tamer became a partner in international networks concerned with reading and creative writing, taking part in international book fairs and global conferences and carrying the Palestinian experience of linking culture with education and larger community into broader spaces.
· The Italian Med Child Award for Best Work in Education and Culture – 2005
The Italian Med Child Award was granted to the Institute in recognition of its educational and cultural programs and their impact on children’s lives.
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) – 2009
In 2009, Tamer Institute was crowned with the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the highest international award granted in the field of children’s and young adult literature. The Institute was the first Arab Palestinian institution to receive this honor. This distinction marked a turning point in the Institute’s history, in recognition of its human-centered approach to promoting reading and providing spaces for children to express themselves under occupation and siege. The award consolidated the Institute’s global standing as an institution that sows hope and builds an act of cultural resistance.
As stated in the jury citation:
“With perseverance, audacity and resourcefulness, the Tamer Institute has, for two decades, stimulated Palestinian children’s and young adults’ love of reading – and their creativity. Under difficult circumstances, the Institute carries out reading promotion of an unusual breadth and versatility. In the spirit of Astrid Lindgren, the Tamer Institute acknowledges the power of words and the strength of books, stories and imagination as important keys to self-esteem, tolerance and the courage to face life.”
The Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature, Best Book for Young Adults – 2014
Tamer Institute won the Etisalat Award in the category of Best Book for Young Adults for the novel Wondrous Journeys in Strange Lands by Sonia Nimr.
Falak and Abdel Karim Kamel Al-Shawa Award for Community Institutions, “For Gaza” – 2017
The Welfare Association granted Tamer this award in recognition of its role and efforts in supporting community libraries in Gaza after the 2014 war, as well as for its programs that enable children and youth to continue reading and expressing themselves amid crises.
The Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature, Best Book for Young Adults – 2018
Tamer Institute won the Etisalat Award in the category of Best Book for Young Adults for the novel The Oil Secret Tale by the late imprisoned writer Walid Daqqa.
The Sharjah Children’s Book Award, Young Adult Books Category – 2018
Tamer Institute won the Sharjah Children’s Book Award in the Young Adult Books category during the tenth edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, for the novel Thunder Bird by Sonia Nimr.
The Arab Forum for Children’s Book Publishers Award, Best Children’s Book Publisher – 2018
The Institute received the Arab Forum for Children’s Book Publishers Award as Best Children’s Book Publisher in 2018, in recognition of its contribution to the development of the children’s publishing sector after producing more than 200 diverse publications, including stories, resources, research books, picture books, and translations.
The Arab Forum for Children’s Book Publishers Award, Early Childhood Category – 2018
Tamer Institute won the Arab Forum for Children’s Book Publishers Award in the category of Best Book for Early Childhood for the book The Giant by Nahla Ghandour and illustrator Jana Traboulsi.
Shortlisting for Best Publisher at the Bologna International Fair – 2018
The Bologna Children’s Book Fair selected Tamer Institute for its shortlist of five publishers competing for the Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publisher of the Year 2018 for the continent of Asia.
The Sheikh Zayed Book Award – 2020
The Institute won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in the “Children’s Literature” branch for the book The Lilac Girl by Ibtisam Barakat and artist Sinan Hallak. The award came as distinguished Arab recognition of the value of the literary content published by the Institute.
The Palestine Prize for Social Studies and Humanities – 2021
Writers Sharif Kanaana and Nabil Alqam won the Palestine Prize for Social Studies and Humanities in 2021 after the Institute nominated them for the award for the Encyclopedia of Palestinian Folktales published by the Institute.
The Arab Forum for Children’s Book Publishers Award, Middle Childhood Category – 2022
Tamer Institute won the Arab Forum for Children’s Book Publishers Award in 2022 in the category of Best Book for Middle Childhood for the book That's Why Rayan Walks Like This by Yahya Ashour and illustrator Abdullah Qawareeq.
The Arab Forum for Children’s Book Publishers Award, Young Adults Category – 2024
Tamer Institute won the Arab Forum for Children’s Book Publishers Award in 2024 in the category of Best Book for Young Adults for the book The Puppeteer by Hooda Al-Shawa.
The Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding – 2022
Tamer Institute received the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding in the “Achievement” category. This award came in recognition of the Institute’s work in translation from English into Arabic, and also as an encouragement for the Institute to continue and intensify its work in this field.
Master Publishing Profession Award – 2025
Tamer Institute for Community Education received the Master Publishing Profession Award for Excellence in Publishing for the year 2025, presented by the Council of Master’s Programs in Publishing at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Italy, in partnership with the European Research Centre for Books, Publishing and Libraries, during the annual edition of “Engaging the Reader.”
The awarding committee also stated that Tamer Institute received this award in view of the exceptional role it has played over more than thirty years in promoting reading, writing, and free expression among children, young adult girls and boys, and youth in Palestine, employing the story as a tool for growth, dialogue, and freedom. Through libraries, reading-promotion campaigns, writing workshops, and children’s productions, Tamer Institute succeeded in building a vibrant network of education and participation that fosters creativity and gives new generations space to express themselves for the purpose of building a freer and more aware society.
The committee affirmed that the award is a tribute to those who, in an extremely difficult context, continue to believe in the power of books and imagination as tools of freedom, identity, and renewal. This award is dedicated to the children of Palestine as a reminder that the world still hears them, their words have impact, their stories cross borders, and that the world stands beside them in their struggle for dignity, freedom, and life.
Inclusion of Tamer Institute for Community Education publications in the Honour Lists of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY)
Books published by Tamer Institute have been included in the Honour Lists of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) for many years, affirming the continuity of the Institute’s presence on global lists of quality.
The following is a list of the Institute’s books that reached the Honour Lists of the International Board on Books for children and youth:
2004: A Story that Begins and Ends with Imagination – written by Sonia Nimr, illustrated by Raouf Al-Karray.
2004: Red Sky – written by Elizabeth Laird, translated by Walid Abu Bakr.
2006: The Gallant Five – written by Henriette Sixxk, illustrated by Catherine Crabster.
2006: Under the Hawthorn Tree – written by Marita Conlon-McKenna, translated by Issam Al-Batran, illustrated by Donald Teskey.
2008: Sheep Do Not Eat Cats – written by Khaled Mahmoud Jumaa.
2008: The Giant and Al-Qunqun – written by George Bedlinski, translated by Shadia Helo, illustrated by Jens Rasmus.
2010: Friends – written by Kazumi Yumoto, translated by Salwa Hajjawi.
2010: Stories from Palestinian Heritage – written by Sharif Kanaana, translated by Braline Jaybra, illustrated by Ahmad Khaldi.
2010: Iman and the Kite – written by Dima Suhail.
2012: My Code Name Is Butterfly – written by Ahlam Bsharat.
2012: Omar and Haha – written by Safaa Omair, illustrated by Dima Abu Al-Hajj.
2012: Barzakh – written by Simon Stranger, translated by Zakia Khairham.
2014: Wondrous Journeys in Strange Lands – written by Sonia Nimr.
2014: Mukhtar With Big Ears – written by Sonia Nimr and Suad Naji, illustrated by Abdullah Qawareeq.
2014: The Red Bird – written by Astrid Lindgren, illustrated by Marit Törnqvist, translated by Maya Abu Al-Hayyat.
2016: Amira – written by Zakaria Mohammed, illustrated by Ahmad Al-Khaldi.
2018: Little Kiss on your Cheek – produced by Tamer Institute.
2018: The Box of Wonder – prepared and illustrated by Sameh Abboushi.
2018: I and My Donkey Friend – written by Mahmoud Shuqair.
2020: Water – written by Subhash Vyam, translated by Issam Batran.
2022: The Cat Named Feather – written by Haifa Sawarka, illustrated by Amal.
2022: I and Jerusalem – written by Hala Al-Sakakini, translated by Hala Al-Shorouf.
2024: The Nest of the Sunbird – written by Alaa Al-Tartir, illustrated by Victoria Al-Tartir.
2025: That's Why Rayan Walks Like This – written by Yahya Ashour, illustrated by Abdullah Qawareeq, included in the 2025 Honour List of the International Board on Books for Young People for the best books directed to children and youth with disabilities.
These Arab and international awards highlight the journey of Tamer Institute, which began from the within the shackles of siege and went on to become a leading literary and cultural beacon in Palestine, the Arab world, and globally. Each award is not only an honor for the Institute, but also a recognition of Palestinian children’s ability to create and transform their stories into knowledge that is read and celebrated globally.