Nominations for the 2025 Middle East Book Award

Books published in the period between January 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025 are eligible to be nominated for the 2024 award. Books must address in a substantive way any part of the Middle East region, or any of its component peoples or cultures, either through expository text (non-fiction category) or through characterization, action and plot (picture book and youth literature categories). New editions of books previously published are eligible for consideration if the content has been significantly revised.

For purposes of this award, the Middle East is defined as: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Books set outside the region may be eligible for consideration if one or more main characters are from the Middle East and their origin or culture is pertinent to the plot of the book. 

(NOTE: Books fully set in Pakistan/India/Bangladesh are not eligible for the Middle East Book Award. They may be eligible for the South Asia Book Award (SABA), issued by the South Asia National Outreach Consortium. The SABA has its own nomination process and eligibility criteria--please contact SANOC directly for information).

• Nominated titles must be primarily written in English (fully bilingual is okay) and available for purchase in North America.
• Books that have been published in other global markets (Europe / Australia / South Asia, etc.) should be submitted during the period of eligibility based on the the date that they become available for the North American market.
• Books that are not available in the North American market except via special order or mail order from a foreign market are generally not eligible for consideration; please contact the Book Award chair for guidance. 
• Books that have been nominated previously but still fall within the eligible publication window for the following year's award are generally not re-reviewed; please contact the Book Award chair for guidance

A committee of MEOC members, including teachers, librarians, outreach coordinators, and other educators select award winners (and, if deemed appropriate, honorable mention titles) in three categories:

• Picture Book (simple text accompanied by large images on most pages, intended for elementary school readers).
• Youth Literature (Plot-driven books, with or without illustrations, collections of poetry, and memoirs appropriate for young adult readers in middle and high school).
• Non-Fiction (reference or other non-fiction—e.g., memoir—intended for K-12 audiences or their teachers). Please note that academic  monographs about K-12 education generally do not meet our criteria--please inquire if you are uncertain.

Graphic novels may be judged within any of the above categories, depending on the intended age of the reader and genre.

AWARD Timeline

Nominations may be received at any time.

January-May
Nominations are solicited from publishers. 

June 1
Deadline for nominations; in order to be eligible, books must have been published between from January 1 of the previous year through June 1 of the current year. Nominated titles may be received until June 30, although we do ask that we be notified if titles will arrive later than June 1.

June-October
Reviewing takes place over the summer and early fall.

November/December
Announcement of Awards

NOMINATIONS FROM PUBLISHERS AND AUTHORS

Publishers are requested to submit five review copies of their book. We do prefer hard copies unless there are extenuating circumstances (please note that books that are out of print and unlikely to be reprinted will not be considered).

Copies should be sent to:

Abby Limmer, Nominations Chair
University of Arizona CMES
845 N. Park Ave, Marshall Building 470
Tucson, AZ 85721
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For questions about the Middle East Book Awards, contact [email protected]. 

NOMINATIONS FROM OTHER PARTIES

​MEOC welcomes nominations from its members, other educators, publishers, and the general public.

Nominations can be submitted on our Submit a Title page.

NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

2024 MIDDLE EAST BOOK AWARD WINNERS

Download the press release announcing this year's winners.

ABBY LIMMER

2025 NOMINATIONS CHAIR

CHRISTOPHER ROSE

2025 CO-chair

E-Mail us!