TEHRAN — Iranian graphic 
designer and art director Amir Najafi has been named the sole winner of the Best Book Cover Design award at Moscow’s prestigious international exhibition, Image of the Book. 
Najafi’s celebrated work includes the striking covers for a series of titles published by Mehrak Publishing House, including Selfie with Mirza, Winter Without Shazdeh, Like My Mother’s Hands, and The Boy Who Became a Crow.
The Image of the Book exhibition, backed annually by Russia’s Federal Press and Mass Communications Agency and the Moscow Association of Illustrators and Book Designers, has grown into a major international event since its inception in 2008, attracting over a thousand artists worldwide. 
The competition spans six categories, including Best Fiction Illustration, Best Children’s Book Illustration, Best Picture Book, Best Book Design, Best Non-Fiction Illustration, and Emerging Artists.
Najafi’s award-winning designs exemplify a fresh, compelling visual language, reflecting the innovative spirit of contemporary Iranian publishing. 
Mehrak Publishing, which began as the children’s and young adult division of Soureh Mehr Publishing and was officially established as an independent press in 2022, champions original works by Iranian writers and illustrators that push creative boundaries in children’s literature.
In addition to Najafi’s success, the picture book Vali—written by Marjan Zarifi and illustrated by Somayeh Muhammadi—also took home the prize for Best Picture Book at the Moscow event. 
Vali tells the poignant story of a lonely whale who, despite having many little fish friends, feels overwhelmed by the noise around him and embarks on a quest for peace in the vast Pacific Ocean.
Vali’s accolades don’t stop there. The book was recognized at the seventh Illustrofest International Illustration Festival in Belgrade as a standout work. It had previously garnered awards at two other notable children’s book fairs: the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, one of the world’s most esteemed platforms for children’s literature, and the Singapore Book Fair, renowned for promoting children’s literature and illustration in the region.