The Special Book Award of China (中华图书特殊贡献奖) is an annual award established by the State Press and Publication Administration of the People's Republic of China in 2005. The award recognizes foreign translators, writers, and publishers who have made significant contributions to introducing China, translating and publishing Chinese books, and promoting cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. The awards are typically announced around the time of the Beijing International Book Fair. The prize has evolved to include two main categories: the main Special Book Award of China for experienced scholars and the Special Book Award for Young Scholars, established around 2017 to honor promising young academics and translators. As of the 18th cycle (2025), approximately 219 individuals from 63 different countries have received the award, including notable recipients such as Princeton Professor Martin Kern (2025) and Italian Sinologist Silvia Pozzi (2024).
"The awards are China's top publication prize that honors foreigners for making great contributions to the introduction and promotion of China, Chinese culture and Chinese publications to the world."15 foreigners win top publication prize for introducing China to world, Xinhua, 2019-08-21.
Recipients
2011
B. R. Deepak, Indian Sinologist.
2014 At the 8th annual event, the recipients were: Ten foreigners win the 8th Special Book Award of China in Beijing, chinanews.com.cn, 2014-08-26. https://www.chinanews.com.cn/cul/2014/08-26/6532558.shtml
Frederico Massini, Sinologist, Confucius Centre director, Italy Jo Lusby, Managing Director, Penguin Books North Asia Masafumi Yamada, President, Oriental Bookstore, Japan Vladislav Bajac, Founder, Geopoetika and Vice-President, PEN Serbia David R Knechtges, Sinologist, USA Liljana Arsovsk, Translator, Mexico Sidney Shapiro, Translator and Writer, China/America
2015
At the 9th annual event, the recipients were:Twenty foreigners win the 9th Special Book Award of China in Beijing, Chinaculture.org, 2015-08-26. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2015-08/26/content_21713779.htm
Colin Patrick Mackerras, Australian Sinologist and writer. John Makeham, Australian translator and professor of Sinology. Lisa Carducci, Canadian writer. Francois Cheng, Chinese French translator and writer. Joël Bellassen, French Sinologist. Helwig Schmidt-Glintzer, German Sinologist. Wilt Idema, Dutch translator and Sinologist. Keo Mackaphonh, Laotian writer. Menerel Chimedtseye, Mongolian translator and professor. Adam Marszalek, Polish publisher. Leonard Perelomov, Russian Sinologist and translator. Marina Čarnogurská, Slovakian translator. Angel Fernandez, Spanish publisher. Robert Baensch, American publisher. Guy Salvatore Alitto, American Sinologist. Youth Awards were presented to: Ahmed Sayyid, Egyptian publisher. Kaung Min, Burmese translator. Zombory Klara, Hungarian translator. Samir Ahmed, Jordanian writer and translator. Eric Abrahamsen, American translator.
2016 Charles Onunaiju
2017
At the 11th annual event, there were 20 awards including 4 for Young Scholars. Recipients included:11th Special Book Award of China winners meet in Beijing, China Daily, 24 Aug 2017. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2017-08/24/content_31045603.htmForeign translators, writers recognised for promoting Chinese culture, Chinaculture.org, 2017-08-23. http://en.chinaculture.org/2017-08/23/content_1059029.htm
Mohamad Elkhatib, Lebanese publisher. Richard Charkin, British publisher. Iljaz Spahiu, Albanian translator. Alicia Relinque, Spanish translator. Paul White, English translator. Petko Hinov, Bulgarian sinologist, translator of Dream of the Red Chamber into Bulgarian. Harold Weldon, Australian Publisher
2018
At the 12th annual event, there were 15 awards. Recipients included:China recognizes 15 in prestigious book awards By Mei Jia, China Daily, 2018-08-22. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201808/22/WS5b7cba9ea310add14f387114.html
Andrzej Kacperski, Polish publisher. Staburova Jelena, Latvian researcher of Chinese language and literature. The Nepali translator of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, vol. 1. The Uzbek translator of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, vol. 1. Kalmar Eva, Hungarian literary translator of Journey to the West and other works. Olivia Milburn, British translator of spy novelist Mai Jia's works Decoded and In the Dark. Balan Luminita Rodica, Romanian translator.
2019
At the 13th annual event, the recipients were:‘BEST-EVER’ BEIJING INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR SCORES ‘A WORLD FIRST’ http://www.bibf.net/EN/NewsDetail.aspx?Id=152&NID=35&PID=35
Bonnie Suzanne McDougall, Australian translator and academic.McDougall wins Special Book Award of China, Books and Publishing, 26 Aug 2019. https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2019/08/26/138178/mcdougall-wins-special-book-award-of-china/ Daniel Bell, Canadian academic, author of The China Model: Political Meritocracy and the Limits of Democracy. Yuri Tavrovskiy, Russian historian, author of Xi Jinping: Governance Thought in Shape, the first book published in Russia about paramount leader Xi Jinping. Ioan Budura, Romanian translator, translator of two volumes of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China. Fabian Lebenglik, Argentinian publisher, president of Adriana Hidalgo Editora. Sotiris Chalikias, Greek translator of Chinese philosophy. András Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian publisher, including The Hungary Chinese and Chinese Hungary Dictionary. Abbas Kdaimy, Iraqi translator and editor, translator of Xi Jinping: Governance of China vol. 1 into Arabic. Yuri Pines, Israeli academic, author of Envisioning Eternal Empire: Chinese Political Thought Of The Warring States Era. Seken Aday, Kazakh academic and translator, especially of Chinese social scientists. Hong Jungsun, Korean academic and publisher, including Chinese Modern Literature and Modernisation. Leopold Moravcik. Slovak writer, including China on the Long March. Youth awards were presented to: Yara El Masri, Egypt. Stefan Christ, German translator of contemporary Chinese theatre. Kiran Gautam, Nepali.
2020
At the 14th annual event, the recipients were: Gustavo Alejandro Girado, Argentina Hamar Imre, Hungary Grzegorz Kolodko, Poland Artem Igorevich Kobzev, Russia Do Tien Sam, Vietnam Nama Didier Dieudonne, Cameroon Giorgio Casacchia, Italy Baktygul Rysbaevna Kalambekova, Kyrgyzstan Lennart Lundberg, Sweden Nicky Harman, UK William H. Nienhauser, Jr., USA Niels Peter Thomas, Germany Pierre Herzel Lavi, Israel Bassam Chebaro, Lebanon Duretic Jagos, Syria
2021
At the 15th annual event, the recipients were:
Jerusha Hull McCormack, Ireland Maxime Vias, French David Ferguson, UK Laurence Brahm, USA Terry Robinson, UK Michael Lackner, Germany Boldbaatar Dorgsuren, Mongolia Syed Hasan Javed, Pakistan Veronica Bonilla, Ecuador Lee Hee Ok, Korea Long Anzhi, USA Lang Yu, Germany Hishinuma Yoshiaki, Japan Igor Radev, North Macedonia Burov Vladilen, Russia Mesfer Falah Alsubaly, Saudi Arabia Phua Kok Khoo, Singapore
2022 At the 16th annual event, the recipients were: Dinesh Kulatunga, Sri Lankan writer Elias Jabbour, Brazilian professor
References