TEHRAN – The Tehran International Book Fair launched its second virtual edition on Saturday.

Due to the pandemic, Iran canceled its 2020 edition of the book fair and the 2021 edition was organized online.

Over 2100 Iranian and foreign publishers are offering over 200,000 titles at this year’s exhibition, Ali Ramezani, the director of the book fair, said during a ceremony held at the Iran Book and Literature House to launch the event running until January 30.

The organizers have also launched three hashtags to promote this year’s book fair, which can be found on https://book.icfi.ir. 

One of the hashtags is #in-ketab-ra-bekhan (read this book), which is being sought by Iranian publishers and reading promoters. They offer the latest books to readers by this hashtag.

In another hashtag entitled #man-ham-ketab-kharidam (I also bought books), visitors introduce the books they have bought from the book fair.

#nazre-ketab (book oblation) has also been dedicated to public and private organizations and centers. By this hashtag, the organizers have asked the organizations and centers to donate books to people in deprived areas.    

Speaking at the launching ceremony of the virtual book fair, Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili expressed his thanks to the Post National Company of Iran and the Information and Communications Technology Ministry for their contributions for organizing the book fair.

He also added, “The pandemic imposed restrictions and at the same time, it also provided some opportunities.”

In its previous virtual edition, which ran for two weeks, the Tehran Book Fair grossed over 640 billion rials (about $2.6 million based on Iran’s free-market exchange rate: $1 = 245,000 rials).

The organizers extended the fair twice for four more days.
    
The 2020 edition of the Tehran International Book Fair, Iran’s most important cultural event, was scheduled to be held in April with Turkey as the guest of honor.

However, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance canceled the fair due to a massive rise in the death toll from coronavirus in the country.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the ministry and the Iran Book and Literature House, the main organizers of the book fair, decided in the end to run the event online.

Photo: A poster for the second virtual edition of the Tehran International Book Fair. 

MMS/YAW