Writing is a Laborious and Specialized Task / The Impact of a Suitable Book on the Destiny of Youth

According to the correspondent of Iran’s Book News Agency (IBNA) in Kermanshah, the commemoration ceremony of Book and Reading Week, as part of the 21st Literary Commemoration of Jihad and Resistance, “National Hero Event,” was held in Kermanshah with the unveiling of the Supreme Leader’s endorsement on three books: “Unfinished Fever,” “Companion of Fire and Snow,” and “Ms. Moon,” and honoring activists in the book field.

A true reader of books is also irreplaceable

Hojjat al-Islam Habibollah Ghafoori, the representative of the Supreme Leader in the province and the Friday Prayer leader of Kermanshah, emphasized that books have no substitute in human life, stating: “Although today technology and new tools have changed things, truly no substitute has come or will come for reading books.”

He called writing a very laborious and specialized task and said: “A writer must be a thinker, knowledgeable, skilled in precise content design, and proficient in the psychology of the material they are writing, to arrange the content in such a way that the subject is fully conveyed and attracts the audience’s attention.”

Ghafoori, reviewing the importance of precision in writing, stated: “In every word of what is written, because a book is a lasting work and will remain, and many people will see it later, the best possible word must be chosen. Sometimes a writer is forced to change a word several times to find the word that accurately conveys the meaning; not an iota more, nor an iota less. This precision is the right of the writer, the reader, and future generations; a book remains in the library and is not like ephemeral media content.”

The Friday Prayer leader of Kermanshah added: “Just as a book itself has no substitute, neither does its writer; similarly, the one who strives to read a book, has an interest, acquires it, and dedicates time. Sometimes there were books that I gave to some friends; they called me late at night and said they had read and finished it from the moment I handed it over until now. This too is irreplaceable; meaning, someone who loves reading books must have unique characteristics. A library is also an irreplaceable asset and treasure, and these matters should be appreciated.”

Seniors’ sensitivity towards books and libraries

The representative of the Supreme Leader in the province, referring to the sensitivity of seniors towards their libraries, noted: “Seniors were sensitive about every single book, what book should be placed in their library and how it should be preserved. It was narrated that a great scholar had received a book as a gift and insisted that the author write at the beginning that he had gifted it; and when he politely declined to write it, the scholar got upset and said, ‘If you don’t write it, tomorrow when I die, others will think I bought this book, while it’s not worth buying.’ Meaning, every book I put in my library must be deliberate.”

Ghafoori listed an example of the impact of suitable books on teenagers and young adults and stated: “A foreigner wrote a book, it’s the story and memoirs of their life, and they were a successful person; for years I have recommended such a book to disappointed and frustrated teenagers and young adults; all of them said after reading it that they couldn’t put it down and their life’s destiny changed.”

He considered books to have a miraculous effect and said: “If a book is used appropriately, timely, and in its proper place, it has a miraculous effect and truly transforms a person’s life and changes their destiny.”

The Director-General of Public Libraries of Kermanshah Province, in her speech, with an emphasis on the impact of the Supreme Leader’s endorsements, said: “The Leader’s writing on a book is actually an endorsement of the authenticity, importance, and value of that work’s content.”

Mohammadi added: “When the Leader endorses a book, that work goes beyond ordinary writing and finds a place in the cultural and literary memory of the country. This action not only attracts the audience’s attention to the book but also shows that the work in question has a special cultural weight and identity and should be paid attention to and understood.”

She, referring to the fact that endorsement is a kind of public invitation to read, stated: “The Leader’s endorsement, like a light, illuminates the path for people to choose valuable works. For this reason, books that receive endorsements usually meet with widespread reception and become reference texts for researchers, students, cultural activists, and book lovers.”

Mohammadi continued: “The Leader’s endorsement is also inspiring for writers; because a writer who has created a work with precision and dedication for years, when they see their effort recognized, gains more self-confidence and their motivation for creating new works increases.”

The Director-General of Public Libraries of Kermanshah Province finally emphasized: “Society, especially young people, by reading books that have been endorsed, become more familiar with oral history, untold narratives, experiences of the Sacred Defense era, Iranian-Islamic lifestyle, and deep human concepts.”

The impact of Leader’s endorsements in strengthening reading culture

Parisa Mohammadi, Director-General of Public Libraries of Kermanshah Province, further emphasized the impact of the Supreme Leader’s endorsements during the ceremony: “The Leader’s writing on a book is actually an endorsement of the authenticity, importance, and value of that work’s content.”

Mohammadi added: “When the Leader endorses a book, that work goes beyond ordinary writing and finds a place in the cultural and literary memory of the country. This action not only attracts the audience’s attention to the book but also shows that the work in question has a special cultural weight and identity and should be paid attention to and understood.”

She, referring to the fact that endorsement is a kind of public invitation to read, stated: “The Leader’s endorsement, like a light, illuminates the path for people to choose valuable works. For this reason, books that receive endorsements usually meet with widespread reception and become reference texts for researchers, students, cultural activists, and book lovers.”

Mohammadi continued: “The Leader’s endorsement is also inspiring for writers; because a writer who has created a work with precision and dedication for years, when they see their effort recognized, gains more self-confidence and their motivation for creating new works increases.”

The Director-General of Public Libraries of Kermanshah Province finally emphasized: “Society, especially young people, by reading books that have been endorsed, become more familiar with oral history, untold narratives, experiences of the Sacred Defense era, Iranian-Islamic lifestyle, and deep human concepts.”

Finally, the winners and activists in the field of books and jihad and resistance literature were honored with commendation plaques.