‘Future is readable’: Iran capital hosts 34th edition of Tehran Int. Book Fair

The widely-popular book fair — known to be the largest cultural event in the Middle East — officially opened on Wednesday and will run until May 20, with the motto of ‘The Future Is Readable.”

The opening ceremony was joined by directors from a number of book fairs, including the Doha International Book Event, New Delhi World Book Fair, and Muscat International Book Fair.

Ali Ramezani, the book fair’s deputy director, said over 3,000 foreign and Iranian publishing houses and over 200 major bookstores in Iran have applied to participate in the fair.

He said efforts have been exerted by various institutions, publishers and bookstores to organize an “amazing fair” this year.

The international section of the fair seeks to introduce the capacities of Iran’s publishing industry, promote cultural exchanges, and set the stage for communication between Iranian and foreign publishers.

Guest of honor

Tajikistan was named the guest of honor at the fair, with the country’s culture minister joining the opening ceremony.

Attending the opening, Tajik Ambassador Zohidi Nizomiddin Shamsiddinzoda, said, “We have many cultural, historical, and religious issues in common with Iran, and the shared cultural and historical values lay the foundation for increased cultural exchange between the two countries.”

“We are ready to be really active in all programs arranged by the organizers. Therefore, our delegation to Tehran has brought an extensive collection of books to the book fair,” he added.