A Small Movement by Publishers Turned into the National Book Week Event

The Culture and Art Service of Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) reports that Nader Ghadyani, director of Ghadyani Publications, during a visit to IBNA to evaluate the 19-year performance of this media outlet, said: “In my opinion, IBNA has managed to establish its position to an acceptable extent among publishing industry activists over these 19 years and fill the void of specialized media in the book sector. In years when publications like ‘Book Week’ ceased to exist and other news agencies distanced themselves from the book sector, IBNA managed to become a news reference for publishers.”

He continued: “However, I believe that if senior managers grant more freedom and authority to journalists in criticizing various collections of the Ministry of Culture, this news agency could become a more serious and influential reference in the field of culture and publishing.”

Ghadyani stated that in the 1980s, one or two news agencies were very active in the book field and had prominent journalists. However, in recent years, with changes in personnel and policies, attention to books in these media has diminished; one can say that practically the only news agency still seriously dedicated to books is IBNA. “I hope other media outlets also return to this field, because books are the foundation of culture.”

Implementing Book Week Programs is Important

In another part of this interview, Ghadyani referred to the 33-year history of the Islamic Republic of Iran Book Week and said: “About 33 years ago, when Mr. Masjed Jamei was at the Ministry of Culture, he held a meeting with a group of publishers and proposed the idea of organizing ‘Book Week’ with plans such as holding book exhibitions in schools.”

He continued: “At that time, the number of professional publishers was very limited, but that small group managed to lay the foundation for a lasting cultural movement.”

Ghadyani stated that in the 1980s and 1990s, concurrent with the growth of general literacy rates, reading flourished and circulation increased. “For example, the circulation of children’s books reached 5,000 copies, and novels reached about 3,000 copies. However, the important point is that over the past 15 years, ‘Book Week’ has become less prominent in terms of budget and implementation, and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance’s attention is more focused on artistic and cinematic fields, with the cultural section, especially the book sector, marginalized.”

According to him, many programs have been announced by various organizations this year, but it remains to be seen how much will be actually implemented; “because in this regard, I believe that merely announcing programs is not enough; actual implementation is important.”

1405 (2026) Will Be a Difficult Year for Publishing

The director of Ghadyani Publications, referring to the current economic situation of publishing, especially in the children’s and young adult sector, stated: “The state of book production is very concerning. The prices of raw materials, including paper, ink, and cardboard, have sharply increased. In just the past year, the price of paper has risen from approximately 1.4 million Toman to 2.4 million Toman; that is about an 80% increase.”

He added: “For example, last year, we published 1,100 book titles, 500 of which were first prints. However, under these conditions, by the end of this year, we will probably be able to produce less than half of that number.”

Ghadyani stated that the main problem will be next year, “because many ready-to-print works will not be able to be produced due to high costs. In my opinion, if the government truly intends to support, it should fairly divide foreign exchange resources between the press and publishing. According to discussions, 20 million dollars have been allocated for the press and publishing, while their circulation is much less than that of books; therefore, I believe the share of the publishing sector should be greater than that of the press.”

According to him, the publishing industry requires immediate support in terms of paper supply and raw material price control; “otherwise, we will face a serious cultural crisis in 1405 (2026). I believe 1405 (2026) will be a difficult year for publishing.”

Ghadyani, raising the point that we should be grateful to the founders of Book Week and cultural managers of past decades who laid the foundation for reading in the country, said: “Today, the generations of the 1980s and 1990s who grew up with books are the educated parents of society. I hope managers will revive the cultural perspective with the same concern, because books are still our most important cultural capital.”