From young authors writing for teens to the mobilization of local writers, MAI’s Robert B. Reekie Global Publisher Award winners share Christian publishing updates from Pakistan, Argentina, Vietnam, Lebanon and Ukraine.
“The Robert B. Reekie Global Publisher Award celebrates more than publishing excellence—it celebrates faithfulness,” says MAI President Heather Pubols. “These publishers remind us that the most powerful stories are often written and shared locally—at great personal cost, and always with deep faith.”
Established in 2018, past award recipients include MIK publishing house in Pakistan (2018), Dar Manhal Al Hayat publishing house in Lebanon (2021), Văn Phẩm Hạt Giống (Seed Publications) in Vietnam (2023), Certeza Argentina (2024) and most recently Ezdra Publishing in Ukraine (2025).
A growing community of local Christian authors in Pakistan
Since 2018, MIK has run training sessions for writers more frequently, and expanded into writer training for elementary and high school students. Today, three MIK trainers lead workshops to further support a growing community of local authors.
“This recognition has been incredibly motivating, encouraging us to mobilize local writers in Pakistan,” says MIK general manager Peter Calvin, of the MAI award. As more local authors became equipped, MIK launched Kids Club magazine, which focuses on young emerging writers.
Local writers also continue to be published in a digest, Kirnen, as well as in books in Urdu. Some novels have been well-received and reprinted several times, including on difficult topics such as pornography addiction and child abuse.
Nurturing the voices of women in Lebanon
Since receiving the award in 2021, there have been changes at Dar Manhal Al Hayat (DMAH). In 2022, Sawsan Tannoury was succeeded as publishing director by Sandra El Hajj Baz.
“The award was a catalyst that sharpened our vision for investing intentionally in local voices,” says Sandra. “It affirmed our calling and helped us in building a publishing ministry that is not only translating global resources into Arabic, but also creating space for local authors to write their own stories.”
“We serve in a region where the voices of women and young girls are often marginalized—both culturally and within publishing spaces—and we have become increasingly convinced of the importance of nurturing local authors, particularly women.”
Over the past four years, DMAH has trained three cohorts of twelve women each in narrative and non-fiction writing. This led to the publication of three collaborative books and a 30-day devotional that can be ordered online and delivered throughout Lebanon, as well as distributed in many countries throughout the Middle East.
Young authors writing for teens in Argentina
“We received the Robert B. Reekie Award with great joy and gratitude to God and MAI,” says Certeza Argentina’s Beatriz Buono. “Like a harvest for a sowing that, in many moments, was sown with tears. We realized that what is small to the world is visible in the Kingdom and to people with the heart of God.”
The award was especially encouraging for Certeza’s young team members—including Beatriz’s granddaughter, Flor Ortiz. The team are developing a devotional for teenagers, Tu acceso directo a Dios (“Your direct access to God”), with several very young writers participating in the project.
Certeza continues to publish books by local authors, which Beatriz reports are selling well. These include ¡Crece! Sin prisa y sin pausa (“Grow! Slowly but surely”) by Daniel González, Predicación e inteligencia artificial (“Preaching and Artificial Intelligence”) by Wilfredo Weigandt and Chau trauma. El coraje de soltar (“Goodbye trauma. The courage to let go”) by Beatriz’s daughter, Daniela Ortiz.
Celebrating ten years of publishing ministry in Vietnam
It has been two years since Văn Phẩm Hạt Giống (Seed Publishing) in Vietnam received the Robert B. Reekie Global Publisher Award, and publishing director Thuy Tran Xuan is now busy planning their ten year anniversary! Workshops, a roundtable and a bookfair in April are in the works.
She also hopes to release a book by a local writer, Tôi thất bại: Hành trình chữa lành và trưởng thành của người tin Chúa dưới góc nhìn tâm lý (“I failed: a journey of healing and growth for believers from a psychological perspective”), by the end of 2026.
Collaborating with churches and self-published authors in Ukraine
Working amidst scheduled blackouts in a war zone, Ezdra Publishing in Ukraine has taken some drastic measures to continue their ministry. They’ve built a solar power station and use their print-on-demand shop to produce books for Christian publishers and self-published authors.
“Ukraine’s churches are working hard to help people in their need. They need literature and we’re here to help,” says Andriy Kravchenko, Ezdra’s CEO. “My prayer is for Ezdra Publishing to fulfill our mission as Christians of delivering the good news of Jesus to the world.”
Ezdra Publishing has been serving Ukraine’s communities since 1995, and is the latest recipient of MAI’s annual Robert B. Reekie Global Publisher Award, which recognizes excellence in publishing ministry within regions facing unique challenges.
“In some of the world’s most difficult contexts, these publishers continue to proclaim hope, tell truth, and serve the Church,” says Heather. “We celebrate their resilience and their faithfulness in bringing Christ-centered literature to readers who need it most.”
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