Tehran, July 12, IRNA - Eminent Iranian writer Houshang Moradi Kermani has been nominated for the 2016 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

Due to his unique features and eloquent language Children's Book Council nominated the author for the award. It also nominated Pejman Rahimizadeh in the illustration category, Tehran-based English newspaper, Iran Daily, reported.

The award, which is administered by the Swedish National Council for Cultural Affairs, was established in 2002 to commemorate the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren and to promote children's and youth literature around the world. It is the world's largest for children's and youth literature, and the second-largest literature prize in the world.

The prize, which is five million Swedish kronor in cash, is awarded to one or more recipients including authors, illustrators, storytellers and promoters of reading.

Moradi Kermani is an author who mainly writes for pre-teens and teenagers.

Several Iranian movies and TV-series have been based on his books. In 2006, Dariush Mehrjoui directed 'Mehman-e Maman' (Mother's Guest) based on Moradi Kermani's novel with the same title.

Some of his books have been translated into English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Arabic and Armenian.

He has won many national and prestigious international awards which include Hans Christian Andersen Honarary diploma (1980) and University of San Francisco book of the year (2000).

By IRNA