The Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan has announced the key terms for the finals of the national “Reading Nation” marathon: The country’s “Top 10 Readers,” who will be selected through a multi-stage process, will each receive the grand prize of 10 million tenge. The path to this title will involve registration in seven categories, six months of reading, regional team competitions, and individual challenges.

            The first-, second-, and third-place winners of the regional stage will earn the right to continue competing in an individual format, vying for the honorary title of “Reader of the Year.”

            At this stage, participants will tackle more challenging competition tasks: writing an essay and giving a public presentation on the books they have read before a panel of experts.

            The top readers from all 20 regions of the country—a total of 200 finalists—will participate in the national final of “10 Readers of the Year,” which will take place in Astana. As part of the final, participants will undergo testing, a series of specialized competition procedures, and public presentations before a national-level jury.

            Based on the results of the final rounds, the top 10 readers in the country will be determined. Each of the ten winners will receive the marathon’s grand prize of 10 million tenge.