TEHRAN-Iraq will be the Guest of Honor at the 36th Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF), Ebrahim Heidari, Deputy Director of the fair, said at a press conference held on Sunday in Tehran.

“Iraq will participate with over 15 publishers and a 30-member delegation. The Iraqi Minister of Culture will attend the opening ceremony of the TIBF,” he was quoted as saying by Mehr.

According to Thaer Jaafar Al-Asami, Deputy Head of the National Publishers Association of Iraq: “This participation is a source of pride for our country. We are confident that our presence at this fair will strengthen cultural interaction and relations between the two nations.”

“Of the 15 publishing houses from Iraq planned to attend the TIBF. Among these, one publisher is affiliated with the Iraqi Council of Ministers, and the other 14 are members of the Iraqi Publishers Association,” he added.
 
Speaking about the domestic and international sections of the book fair, Heidari said, “2,363 Iranian publishers have registered for the fair, including 1,589 publishers from Tehran and 774 from other provinces. Moreover, 50 applicants from other countries have registered. Their books will be displayed in the Arabic and Latin sections of the exhibition, mostly published between 2023 and 2025.”

“This year, we have launched a new and special initiative called Tehran Publishing Fellowship Program, aiming to support Iranian works and facilitate their translation into other languages. A total of 81 publishers from 34 countries have registered to participate in the first edition of the program. Additionally, 64 Iranian publishers have registered for the fellowship.”

The foreign publishers hail from countries including Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Algeria, Brazil, China, Egypt, Hungary, India, Iraq, Italy, Malaysia, Russia, Spain, Syria, and Turkey among others.

The fellowship aims to enhance Iran's presence in the global publishing arena, focusing initially on children's and young adult literature. 

The term ‘publishing fellowship’ refers to the collaboration among publishers, authors, and literary agents for the sale of book rights. 

Heidari further underlined the presence of international guests and said: “Thirty foreign authors will attend the fair, coming from various parts of the world. We hope that our engagement with these esteemed guests will continue after the Book Fair as well.”

Recognized as a national heritage and event, Tehran International Book Fair not only invigorates and enriches the country’s culture but also attracts the attention of cultural figures and book lovers from across the globe.

The cultural event has turned into a landmark, momentous book fair in West Asia after 35 editions in a row. Millions of visitors inspect the fair every year, including thousands of university students, scholars, and their families.

The event currently serves as the most significant cultural event in Iran. The foreign publishers substantially offer their materials in English or Arabic; however, titles in French, German, Chinese, Korean, Russian, or Japanese are also available.

The 36th TIBF is set to take place from May 7 to 17 at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla. “Let’s Read for Iran” has been chosen as the slogan for the upcoming edition of the book fair.

SS/SAB