TEHRAN – Iran is participating in the 77th Frankfurt Book Fair, after a three-year hiatus, which is underway in Frankfurt, Germany.

“Iran’s return is part of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance’s broader strategy to expand cultural diplomacy and strengthen international cooperation in publishing and literature,” said Ayoub Dehghankar, the scientific, cultural, and management advisor to the deputy minister for cultural affairs at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

“One of the key policies of the Cultural Affairs Department is to support the development of cultural exports, especially books,” IRNA quoted Dehghankar as saying. 

“Among cultural products, books hold a unique importance because exporting them through translation and publication by foreign publishers means sharing Iranian and Islamic thought and worldview with the world,” he added.

He also referred to the successful launch of the Tehran Publishing Fellowship Program, explaining that one of its main goals is to boost the cultural economy by facilitating the sale of publication rights for Iranian books to international publishers.

“Since the first round of this fellowship was well received by foreign publishers, Iran’s participation in the Frankfurt Book Fair continues that effort and seeks to further those goals,” Dehghankar stated.

Alireza Nourizadeh, secretary of the Tehran Publishing Fellowship Program, described participation in the Frankfurt event as an important step toward the internationalization of Iran’s publishing industry.

“The Tehran Publishing Fellowship was established to create a platform for cooperation between Iranian and international publishers, support the translation of Iranian works, and improve mutual access to cultural resources,” Nourizadeh said.

He added that this year’s participation focuses on expanding translation and co-publishing agreements, introducing active Iranian publishers, and facilitating direct engagement with international publishing executives.

“The Frankfurt Book Fair is the world’s largest publishing event,” he emphasized. “Our presence at the fair helps expand the network of Iranian publishers and strengthen Iran’s cultural standing globally. We aim to elevate publishing from a domestic cultural activity into an effective tool for cross-cultural dialogue and public diplomacy.”

Launched on October 15, this year’s edition of the Frankfurt Book Fair will run until October 19 at Messe Frankfurt.

SS/SAB