Int’l literary prize to pay tribute to martyred kids in Minab

Iran has been paying tribute to the martyred schoolkids in Minab by launching the International Six-Word Story Award: Minab School – 168 Unfinished Short Stories.

The award was officially launched on Sunday during Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi’s visit to the 7th Tehran Virtual Book Fair.

Unveiling the event's poster, the minister marked the start of a global literary initiative dedicated to keeping the memory of the victims alive through the power of minimalist storytelling.

The literary event aims to foster creativity in micro-narratives while providing a platform for expressing human experiences through a concise and impactful lens.

The award’s title “168 Unfinished Short Stories” serves as a tribute to the lives lost in the Minab school tragedy, framing each victim as a story left incomplete.

The call for entries invites writers, literary enthusiasts, and storytellers from around the world to submit works that adhere to the six-word story format.

The genre challenges participants to craft narratives that, despite their brevity, carry deep emotional weight and leave a lasting impression on the reader's mind.

The themes of the competition include the Minab school incident, war, peace, hope, suffering, patriotism and children's rights.

Each participant may submit a maximum of six entries, and the deadline for submitting entries is set for July 22.

The winners will be honored at a closing ceremony, where they will receive trophies, honorary diplomas, and significant cash prizes.

By launching this international initiative, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance seeks to utilize the power of minimalist literature to keep the memory of the Minab tragedy alive and to promote a global dialogue on peace and the protection of children in times of conflict.

On February 28, the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Hormozgan Province, became the site of a devastating massacre as the US and Israel initiated strikes against Iran.

As dozens of students aged between 7 and 12 were beginning their lessons, the facility was targeted by a series of deliberate missile strikes that caused the entire building to collapse; which resulted in the confirmed deaths of more than 168 civilians, mostly schoolchildren.