Closing ceremony of the second national «Life with Book» festival held in Delijan

According to the correspondent of Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) in Arak, Ali Goudarzizadeh added at this ceremony: ‘This national event demonstrated that books can still remain at the center of cultural and artistic activities.’

He stated: ‘Libraries, in their new missions, have transformed into cultural centers that, in addition to providing library services, play a significant role in promoting reading culture and fostering social vitality.’

The Director-General of Public Libraries of Markazi Province remarked: ‘Today, libraries are not merely places for lending books; rather, they are cultural, artistic, and social bases for connecting the weary hearts of people with an atmosphere of peace and knowledge.’

Goudarzizadeh emphasized: ‘The closing ceremony of the festival is not the end of the road, but rather the beginning of a fresh perspective on the role of books in people’s social and cultural lives.’

On the sidelines of this national event, he mentioned that the festival was held through the efforts of the Public Libraries Department of Markazi Province and the participation of some organizations in Delijan County, adding: ‘This festival was designed in two main sections (camera photography and mobile phone) and a special section based on creativity and innovation with the theme of books and reading, incorporating artificial intelligence.’

He cited promoting the culture of books and reading, introducing the capacities of public libraries, and familiarizing the general public with library services and programs as the objectives of holding this festival.

The Director-General of Public Libraries of Markazi Province added: ‘In this round, more than 1,581 works from 184 photographers nationwide were sent to the festival secretariat, and after judging, the selected works were announced.’

Goudarzizadeh mentioned the judges of this edition, saying: ‘Mohammad Mehdi Rahimian, Leila Yousefi, and Adel Azizi were responsible for judging the second national ‘Life with Book’ photo festival.’

According to the jury, the winners in the main and artificial intelligence sections were announced as follows:

Winners of the Main Section:

Mehdi Kazemi from Shiraz (first place), Zeinab Karimi from Astara (second place), and Farzin Ahmadi from Gilan (third place). Honorable mentions: Nouri Shahabi from Kurdistan and Ahmad Taji from Shahrekord.

Winners of the Artificial Intelligence Section:

Mohammad Mortazavi and Mehdi Javadi Shad; both from Mashhad.

Also, on the sidelines of the festival, workshops on ‘The Role of Narrative in Visual Storytelling’ and ‘Augmented Creativity with Artificial Intelligence in Photography’ were held, taught by Adel Azizi, a senior expert in photography.