Nastaran Moossavi (b. 1955):
translator and researcher in women's issues

Dr. Helen Owliyayi-nia (b. 1953):
literary critic and professor of English literature

Dr. Hossein Payandeh (b. 1962):
literary critic and translator,professor of English literature

Adel Biyaban-gard Javan (b. 1968):
poet and editor

Mojdeh Daghighi (b. 1956):
literary translator

Dr.Ahmad Okhovvat (b. 1951):
literary critic and translator

Dr. Simin Daneshvar (b. 1921):
fiction writer, literary translator,and retired professor of aesthetics and art history

Lili Golestan (b. 1944):
literary translator and art expert

Abdollah Kowssari (b. 1946):
literary translator

Abol-hassan Najafi (b. 1928):
literary translator,linguist and lexicographer

The selection process this year was carried out in two phases by 10 jury members. They evaluated the works taking four aspects into consideration: style; structure and form; theme; and the degree of interaction with the contemporary world.

Six judges awarded points to the entries in the first phase: three of them evaluated the novels and the remaining three the short story collections. Twelve works_ 2 novels, 2 first novels, 4 short story collectio ns, and 4 first collections_ which had gained the required points entered the last phase. The works shortlisted were announced in the press in Oct. 2002. The four judges of the final phase gave their points, and the winners were determined and later announced at the ceremony.

1.Zoya Pirzad (b. 1952) for The Best Novel of the Year, praised for her superb characterization, ingenious representation of the conflicting emotions of a woman, creating suspense through defamiliarization of everyday life, creating a language in perfect harmony with the theme and characters of the novel.

2.Mohammad-Rahim Okhovvat (b.1945) for The Best Short Story Collection of the Year, lauded for his presentation of the question of immigration of new generations leaving older generations behind, prevalent in the last few decades in modern Iran,the ingenious presentation of the grief of a generation through the sense of deep

3.Reza Ghassemi (b. 1949, living in Paris) for The Best First Novel of the Year, selected for the harmony between the elements of his novel, success in creating suspense, creation of a successful example of exile literature mingled with the anxieties and fear in confronting the new environment: the situation of immigrants, powerful irony and sense of humour,

4.Mitra Eliyati (b. 1950), co-winner for The Best First Short Story Collection, praised for the firm structure of her stories, adopting appropriate points of view, settting a novel tone in harmony with the characters and themes, creating interesting situations within a seemingly routine life.

5.Marjan Shir-Mohammadi (b. 1973), co-winner for The Best First Short Story Collection, praised for her succinct implicative dialogues, adoption of appropriate points of view, novel and charming endings for the stories, and use of a language in harmony with other elements.

Twenty-four Best Individual Stories by 12 writers were also announced at the ceremony. Twelve of them will soon be published by the foundation in a volume entitled "Naqsh 80" [Imprint of 2001].

The foundation would like to thank all those who enabled us to hold the second prize giving ceremony through their help and contributions.