Book Week is a Reminder

The Culture and Publishing Service of the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) reported that Ebrahim Karimi, coinciding with the 33rd edition of the Book Week of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on the sidelines of his visit to IBNA news agency, congratulated the anniversary of the establishment of this specialized media in the field of books and publishing, stating: ‘I hope the scope of news activities of these media expands every day. In the meantime, if more attention is paid to booksellers and writers in various cities of Iran, especially less populated cities, the impact of news and media activities in the publishing industry will increase.’

Referring to the publication of specialized articles and reports in IBNA, he added: ‘In this regard, I believe that the more we move away from generalizations and address detailed and specialized issues, trying to solve them, the more beneficial it will be.’

Karimi also explained about the holding of the 33rd Book Week and its effectiveness: ‘Book Week is a suitable opportunity for the topic of books to be raised in society, but this issue should not be limited to just one week. We must strive to develop the discussion of books and reading throughout the year.’

We Are Pursuing the Provincialization of the Union

One of the challenges for publishers and booksellers in Tehran is the limitation of guild services for booksellers in cities surrounding Tehran. Karimi, in this regard, pointed to some actions by the Union and said: ‘The Tehran Publishers and Booksellers Union has submitted a request for the provincialization of the union to the Chamber of Guilds and the Ministry of Guidance, and fortunately, the Tehran Chamber of Guilds and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance have cooperated in this regard. This matter is now awaiting approval from the Iran Chamber of Guilds and the Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade.’

He continued: ‘This action will help booksellers in cities near Tehran, such as Rey and Shemiran, to benefit from guild facilities related to the union, and they will no longer need to be forced to join unions with which they have no affiliation to pursue their work.’

According to Karimi, Shemiran and Rey are practically integrated with Tehran, and their issues are better pursued in a centralized union. The experience of various years has shown that if booksellers in these areas are merged into other unions, their problems receive less attention.’

The Problem of Book Counterfeiters and Lack of Coordination Among Bodies

The head of the Tehran Publishers and Booksellers Union, in response to a question about the fate and status of book counterfeiters, stated: ‘Unfortunately, effective confrontation with these individuals requires coordination among the Ministry of Culture, the police force, the public prosecutor’s office, municipalities, and unions, and no practical work has yet been done in this regard.’

He continued by stating that the Tehran Publishers and Booksellers Union has pursued this matter the most because it desires to solve this issue more than any other entity: ‘The current initial results are also the outcome of the Union’s own activities. We have seriously followed up on the necessary actions and pursuits in this area, but the lack of coordination among the bodies has made the work difficult.’

Karimi also explained about the Union’s programs for Book Week: ‘Book-touring (Ketabgardi), which will be implemented as one of the Union’s programs on Thursday, November 29th, is limited to one day during Book Week. However, more importantly, meetings and follow-ups on guild issues with the Tehran City Council, the Chamber of Guilds, and municipalities of various districts, especially districts 11 and 6 where most booksellers operate, will continue.’

According to him, with more cooperation and coordination among bodies and unions, practical steps can be taken to solve guild issues and develop the culture of reading throughout the country.