Iran Returns to Frankfurt Book Fair After Three-Year Absence
WANA (Oct 15) – After a three-year absence, the Islamic Republic of Iran will once again participate in the Frankfurt International Book Fair, following years of disruption caused by the activities of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) and repeated obstacles from the fair’s organizers.
Ayoub Dehghan-Kar, scientific, cultural, and management advisor to the Deputy Minister for Cultural Affairs, announced the news on Wednesday, stating that Iran’s return is part of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance’s broader strategy under the 14th government to expand cultural diplomacy and strengthen international cooperation in publishing and literature.
“One of the key policies of the Cultural Affairs Department is to support the development of cultural exports, especially books,” Dehghan-Kar said. “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 also referred to the successful launch of the Tehran Children’s Book 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,” he added.
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 will focus 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 there will help 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.”
It is worth noting that Iran did not attend the past three editions of the Frankfurt Book Fair due to harassment by MKO members in Germany and the inaction of German police in response to those incidents.
Iran Returns to Frankfurt Book Fair After Three-Year Absence. Social media/ WANA News Agency
