The nominations for the 2025 Book of the Year Competition of the Polish Section of IBBY have been announced! The Universal Reading Foundation, as a partner, is pleased to support this initiative, which has been promoting valuable children's and young adult literature for years.
The awards and distinctions will be announced on December 12, 2025, during the Book of the Year 2025 Competition Gala. The best Polish books for children and young people, selected by three juries: literary, graphic, and comics, will be announced, as well as the 2025 winner of the award for promoting reading.
The aim of the competition, in accordance with the statutes of the international association IBBY, is to promote literary and artistically valuable children's books. The competition is held annually. The Polish edition of the competition is the equivalent of similar ones organized by national sections of IBBY. The winners
are contemporary living native authors, and the competition applies only to books published
in Poland. In 2025, to meet the needs of publishers, readers, and reading promoters
– a NEW award has been introduced in the comics category.
LITERARY NOMINATIONS jury composed of: Dr. Maciej Skowera – chairman, Dr. Kamila Kowalczyk,
Biserka Čejović
- for Justyna Bednarek, Bartek Brosz for the book Revenge of the Cockroach, published by Nasza Księgarnia
- for Gosia Herba, Mikołaj Pasiński for the book The underground adventure of the brave frog Rene,
Kropka Publishing House - to Lidka Iwanowska-Szymańska for the book Dragon, ill. Zofia Zaccaria, published by Lizacc Studio
- for Grzegorz Kasdepke for the book Mr. Arthur thumbs his nose at boredom! Or the strangest book ever
about Rubinstein, illustrated by Joanna Rusinek, published by Literatura - to Barbara Kosmowska for the book Kite, illustrated by Emilia Dziubak, published by Agora for children
- for Marta Krajewska for the book Mermaids, liches, kikimores and other Slavic fears in stories,
illustrations by Alicja Filiacz, published by Kropka - to Beata Ostrowicka for the book You won't be happy, Literature publisher
- to Marcin Szczygielski for the book Byte verses, ill. Jacek Ambrożewski, published by Dwie Siostry
- to Wit Szostak for the book Molt, ill. Aleksandra Krzanowska, published by Powergraph
- to Katarzyna Wasilkowska for the book Thief, Literature publisher
- for Przemek Wechterowicz, Emilia Dziubak for the book How can I help you, Robot?, published by Aesop
- for Rafał Witek for the book Escape to the Mountain of Dreams, ill. Kasia Piątek, Literatura publishing house
GRAPHIC NOMINATIONS jury composed of: Dr. Anita Wincencjusz-Patyna – chairwoman, Adam Pękalski,
Dr. Piotr Kułak
- for Jacek Ambrożewski for illustrations to the book by Marcin Szczygielski Byte verses,
published by Two Sisters - for Joanna Czaplewska for illustrations to the book by Marta Guzowska and Wiesław Więckowski Skeletal Mysteries: What Do the Bones Clatter About?, published by Nasza Księgarnia
- to Maria Dek for illustrations to the book by Aneta Bujnowska and Natalia Fiedorczuk Seed Keepers: Therapeutic Fairy Tales, published by Natuli
- for Agata Dudek for illustrations to Artur Gębka's book Hole, published by Widnokrąg
- for Monika Hanulak for the series DziubDziuSie: We wash, we eat, we cry, we laugh, published by Two Sisters
- for Gosia Herba for illustrations to Mikołaj Pasiński's book The underground adventure of the brave frog Rene, published by Kropka
- for Magdalena Kozieł-Nowak for illustrations to the book by Joanna Jagiełło Olaf and Stella, published by Agora Publishing House for children
- for Kasia Minasowicz for the picture book/author's book U with two dots = U with two points, translated into German by Róża Zielnik-Kołodzińska, published by Widnokrąg
- for Marianna Oklejak for illustrations to the book by Joanna Olejarczyk Fisia's Magic Piano,
published by Bajka - for Przemysław J. Olszewski for a picture/author's book Prague talks nonsense,
published by the Animation Foundation - for Ewa Stiasny for illustrations to the book by Mikołaj Łoziński Fairy Tales for Ida, published by Two Sisters
- for Marianna Sztyma for the picture book/author's book by Anja Franczak Frog: A Little Tale of Grief, published by Albus
COMIC NOMINATIONS jury composed of: Wojciech Jama – chairman of the jury, Sebastian Frąckiewicz, Jacek Świdziński
- for Wioleta Detyniecka – script and Aneta Szczypczyk – drawings for the book Chronicles of the Great Wilderness: The Old Lady's Secret, published by Kultura Gniewu, Kroke Ptki
- to Berenika Kołomycka for the book Kocina. Notes from the Valley, published by Egmont
- to Berenika Kołomycka for the book Little Fox and Big Boar – Brawl, published by Egmont
- for Aleksandra Mizielińska, Daniel Mizieliński and Michał Figura – text and Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizieliński – drawings for the book Lynxes. True Stories, published by Two Sisters
- for Tomasz Samojlik for the book Echo one, published by Kultura Gniewu, Kroke Ptki
- for Tomasz Samojlik for the book Echo two, published by Kultura Gniewu, Kroke Ptki
- to Greta Samuel for the book Emigration. Notes on a Man, Bęc Zmiana Foundation
- for Przemek Wechterowicz – idea and text and Marta Ignerska – drawings and graphic design for the book Super hyper mega important mission, published by Kultura Gniewu, Kroke Ptki
NOMINATIONS FOR PROMOTING READING the chapter composed of: Małgorzata Swędrowska,
Alina Januszczyk, Aneta Korycińska – Polish Girl
- for Anna Giniewska, Reading:
– for interesting, engaging and effective pro-reading activities for children, families and entire communities,
– for creating a living reading animation movement based on relationships, community and delight
on literature, not limiting itself to sharing books, but creating reading situations in which a book becomes an experience, not just an object, and acting directly by encouraging Poles to take a "reading break", but also online, promoting reading as CzytAnia.
- for Beata Kwiecińska and Maciej Dąbrowski, the creators of INSPIRO:
– for original, bold, full of ideas, commitment and lightness activities that stimulate reading among local communities and throughout Poland,
– for persistence, honesty and consistency in speaking to children in the language of books,
– for creating literary, safe spaces for them to meet, ask questions and look for answers.
- for Ewa Pawlak:
– for consistently and systematically introducing valuable children's books into the world over the years
and youth readers of the Irena Zarzycka Public Library in Ożarów Mazowiecki, and previously
in the Public Library of the City and Commune of Konstancin Jeziorna, in the Stanisław Staszic Public Library in the Bielany District,
– for introducing innovative, active forms of work according to developed and implemented original scenarios in the Library and beyond its walls.
Congratulations to all the nominees!
Partners: The Universal Reading Foundation, the Polish Women Can Do Everything Foundation, Nowa Era, the Zygmunt Łazarski Public Library in the Mokotów District of Warsaw, the Comics Museum, the Committee for the Protection of Children's Rights
Honorary patron: National Library
Media patrons: „"Cosmos for Girls", "Świerszczyk" Magazine, "Books. Magazine for Reading", "Ryms. Quarterly about Literature", "Children. Magazine for Parents", "Books. Literary Magazine"”
Sponsors: Authors' Agency "Autograf", Printing House "Perfekt", Educational and Training Group "Sokrates", Educational Psychology, Institute of Electronic Education Foundation, Media Crew
Ambassadors: CzyTaMaja, CZYTAMTO.PL, Bridges of Books, Culture-Fed, Prankster Zone,
Small Font, superTATA.tv
