The Solitude of Books; An Elegy for the Forgetting of Thought
IBNA Book Management Service – Mohammad Reza Kari, Director of Kimia-ye Andisheh Publishing: Every time I step onto Enghelab Street, the very street that was once a symbol of culture, knowledge, and intellectual dynamism in Iran, I encounter a sight that pierces my heart like a dagger. The street vendors’ stalls are spread out on both sides of the sidewalk; stalls full of books, but not books displayed with enthusiasm and respect. Instead, they are piled haphazardly, without any order or dignity, like forgotten and useless merchandise. The books collect dust in the street’s hustle and bustle, amidst the car horns; and passersby merely glance at them briefly, without pausing to consider that behind each of these dusty covers lies a world of thought, effort, and love.
A book is not merely a collection of words printed on paper. A book is the spirit of its time, manifesting itself in words. Every page is the result of a writer’s sleepless nights, who has woven moments of their life with words; a writer who perhaps battled with themselves and their world for months and years to create a thought and leave an unparalleled work. But the writer is not alone on this journey. After them comes an editor, who, with exemplary patience and meticulous precision, delves into the text, corrects errors, and polishes sentences to ensure the reader can effortlessly immerse themselves in the world of the work. Then, the typesetter, with their art and order, gives shape and consistency to the words, and the cover designer, like a painter, strives to convey the essence and message of the work to the audience at first glance through a single image.
But what is often overlooked are the hardships and efforts of the people behind the scenes of the publishing industry. Lithographers who work for hours in noisy, hot workshops to transform words and images into print-ready pages. Printers and printing press workers whose days and nights are spent amidst the roar of machines and the smell of ink and paper; and bookbinders who, with tired but patient hands, stitch scattered pages together to create a complete and sturdy book. These are the unsung soldiers of culture; those whose names are rarely mentioned in the media, but without whose efforts, no work would ever see the light of day. Every book is in fact the result of a chain of love and collective work; a joint effort among the author, editor, designer, printer, and bookbinder, all of whom have dedicated their lives to the longevity of thought.
Nevertheless, the fate of many books today is nothing but solitude and loneliness. Books that were once published with hope and enthusiasm are now piled up disrespectfully on street stalls. Some are sold for less than the price of a cup of tea. This bitter fate is not only a disrespect to the book but an insult to everyone who contributed to its creation. Imagine a bookbinder who spent hours in the quiet workshop stitching pages together, or a lithographer whose hands are burned by chemicals, someday seeing their work so undervalued on these stalls. Is this not extinguishing a light that could have illuminated a home?
Indifference to books is, in fact, indifference to ourselves. This neglect is not limited to written works but has profound consequences for our culture and collective identity. A nation that marginalizes books effectively abandons its own thought and future. Such a nation is accountable to its history and civilization. We are the inheritors of Hafez, Ferdowsi, and Rumi; a nation that centuries ago, with the Shahnameh, Mathnavi, and Hafez’s ghazals, astonished and earned the admiration of the world. Is it right that our books should meet such a fate today?
However, the issue is not merely public indifference. Part of this solitude stems from the media and state broadcasting (IRIB). Unfortunately, IRIB has forgotten its cultural mission, and many of its programs and spaces have turned into advertising tools for large stores and shopping centers; city malls, arcades, and commercial hubs that pay billions of Tomans for their advertisements, and the media provides this opportunity in their favor. In such an environment, the promotion of books, reading, and addressing important cultural topics have been marginalized, giving way to billion-dollar revenues. The position that IRIB once held for promoting thought and culture has now been reduced to a space for commercial advertising, and books and reading have been forgotten. This issue itself is a clear sign of abnormal priorities and widespread neglect of culture.
Some might say the reason for this situation is the high cost of paper or the spread of digital media. Undoubtedly, these factors are not without influence. But the truth is that the root of the problem is deeper: we have lost the culture of reading. Books are no longer considered among our basic life necessities. Families buy fewer books for their children, schools are preoccupied with tests and grades leaving no room for the pleasure of reading, and the media is busy with fleeting controversies and billion-dollar advertisements. The result is that books have become a luxury and useless commodity.
Meanwhile, global experience shows that any society that has placed books at the center of its life has achieved remarkable progress. Post-World War II Japan, by investing in education and reading, rose from the ashes of war. Scandinavian countries, by promoting reading in childhood, have today reached one of the highest levels of culture and welfare. And we, with our brilliant literary and cultural background, stand silent today before the solitude of books.
Books are not just for knowing; they are for living. Every book opens a new window to the world, shines a new light in the mind, and makes the human spirit soar. Indifference to books is, in fact, extinguishing these very lights. A society that casts aside books will sooner or later be caught in the darkness of ignorance and stagnation.
Now is the time to return to books once more. This responsibility does not rest solely on the shoulders of writers and publishers; it is a collective responsibility. Families must introduce their children to the joy of reading, schools must, beyond textbooks, instill a love for reading in students, universities must create spaces for thought and critique, and the media must bring books back from the margins to the mainstream. Even the government and cultural institutions are obliged to make books accessible to everyone through clear policies and support writers and publishers.
Books are screaming today, but silently. In the city’s hustle, in the clamor of daily life, this scream goes unheard. But each of us can listen attentively. We can give new life to this fading light by buying books, by gifting them to our friends, by reading even a few pages a day. Let us not forget that a book is the mirror of a nation’s soul. If this mirror becomes dusty, our image in history will become dim and blurred. The solitude of books is our solitude; and saving books is, in fact, saving our culture, thought, and future.
Let us accept this responsibility and once again bring books back into our homes, hearts, and lives. Let us join hands, light the lamp of books, and not allow the dust of oblivion to settle upon them. A book is a heritage that, from yesterday to today, connects us to the past and illuminates the future. Every word is a bridge between generations and a gateway to the world of thought, art, and humanity. And let us remember: those who lay their hands on books are, in fact, laying their hands on the future; and every reader not only enriches themselves but also brightens the soul of society.
