Kazakhstan has launched the '10 Readers of the Year' book marathon. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Participation in the project is free. The organizers prepared a list of 345 works and divided participants into seven categories: schoolchildren, college students, university students, teachers, family dynasties of three generations, civil servants and other citizens. A separate track called 'Parasat' was created for representatives of the political and intellectual community.
Participants must read 15 works from the list for their category and then pass a selection process. The winners will be determined in spring 2027, the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan said.
The marathon will last until March 2027 and will cover 195 districts and 87 cities. After the regional selection, about 4,000 prize-winners will be determined. Of these, 200 people from 20 regions will advance to the republican final.
The finalists will face an in-person interview and a public speech. They will have to demonstrate their knowledge of the books they read and their ability to analyze literature. The commission will select ten winners, each will be awarded the title of 'Reader of the Year' and a prize of 10 million tenge.
The award ceremony will take place on April 23, 2027, on National Book Day. Last year, the marathon was held in a pilot format in three regions. According to the ministry, it attracted about 190,000 participants at that time.
Earlier, 'Kursiv' wrote that Kazakhstanis could earn 600,000 tenge by reading books.