The Human Resources Development Department at the Holy Shrine of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) has announced a significant increase in participation in the second edition of the national “A Nation Reads” competition, organized in cooperation with Iraq’s Ministries of Education and Higher Education.

Department head Muhammad Al-Kanani stated that this year’s competition saw over 21,000 participants from across Iraq’s governorates, compared to the first edition. Contestants were divided into two age groups: school students aged 10 to 18, and university students and school dropouts aged 18 to 24.

Al-Kanani noted that more than 17,000 participants came from the school education sector, while around 4,000 were from higher education institutions. “These figures reflect growing community engagement and strong interest in the competition’s goals,” he said.

The competition offers valuable cash prizes for the winners. First-place winners in each category will receive 20 million Iraqi dinars, second-place winners 15 million dinars, and third-place winners 10 million dinars.

The final round for both categories is scheduled for early September, with extensive preparations already underway.

The “A Nation Reads” competition is a national cultural initiative aimed at encouraging purposeful and creative reading, guiding young people to acquire knowledge, and empowering them to apply it meaningfully in their lives.