Winners at the award ceremony of the 18th Special Book Awards of China Photo: Wu Jie/GT

The 18th Special Book Award of China, the country's top publication prize honoring foreign authors, translators and publishers, unveiled its 16 winners for 2025 in Beijing on Tuesday.

The prestigious honors were awarded to six authors, six translators and four publishers from countries including Russia, India, the US, Brazil, Egypt, and South Korea. 

Alexander Semenov and his wife Tatiana Semenova received the award in translating. Semenov, who is head of the Oriental Languages Department at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, told the Global Times that the years 2024 and 2025 mark the "Russia-China Year of Culture," making this honor particularly significant and meaningful for them at this special moment. 

"Russia and China share a time-honored friendship, with culture always serving as a vital bond that deepens our mutual understanding and propels us forward together. We firmly believe that true mutual understanding stems from profound knowledge of one another, and books - especially those rich in intellectual and cultural value - are essential bridges that connect our hearts and minds," said Semenov.

Organized by the National Press and Publication Administration of China, the award is the highest national honor granted to people who have made outstanding contributions in introducing contemporary China and promoting Chinese publications and related cultural products overseas. Established in 2005, the award has been granted 17 times, honoring 203 recipients from 63 countries, according to the organizer. 

Aleksei Rodionov, a professor of Chinese studies at St. Petersburg State University, is also a laureate in translating. As a linguist who spent over 30 years in studying Chinese literature, Rodionov told the Global Times that Russian readers have shown growing interest in Chinese culture, while knowledge about China has also been incorporated into many humanities disciplines.

Currently translating a novel by Chinese author Liu Zhenyun, Rodionov said that he will continue to foster mutual understanding between Chinese and Russian people, serving as a cultural envoy bridging civilizations and helping the world better comprehend China.

Peter Kees Bol, the Charles H. Carswell professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University, won the award in writing. 

"In the three years I spent studying the Four Books and Five Classics, I came to realize that the way people see the world helps explain how they respond to the world, and the way people see the world is deeply influenced by what they read," said Bol. 

Another winner in translating was Brazilian sinologist Giorgio Erick Sinedino de Araujo, a faculty member at the University of Macau. He told the Global Times that he is working on the translation of The Art of War, one of the most influential works of military strategies and tactics in both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thought.

In 2026, China and Brazil will hold a "Year of Culture" to strengthen their cultural ties and enhance mutual understanding. Giorgio said that the new translation of The Art of War will include more notes and documents about author Sun Tzu. 

The event serves as a major prelude to the 2025 Beijing International Book Fair, which is set to kick off on Wednesday and run until Sunday.