Book Exhibition, the Most Prominent Cultural Event in Kerman Province

According to the reporter of the Iran Book Agency (IBNA) from Kerman, Majid Zandaghataei, Director General of the Office of Social and Cultural Affairs of Kerman Governorate, stated on Sunday evening during the coordination meeting for the 19th International Kerman Book Exhibition that serious attention to culture and a program-oriented approach in the province have enabled Kerman to move towards holding impactful cultural events, with the book exhibition potentially leading these events.

He added that the book exhibition is a suitable opportunity to re-represent Kerman’s cultural identity, and necessary infrastructures and coordination have been completed for holding this event. Now the main focus should be on planning for widespread public attendance and benefiting various segments of society from this cultural capacity.

The Director General of the Office of Social and Cultural Affairs of Kerman Governorate mentioned providing opportunities for students and book enthusiasts from across the province to visit as priorities for this edition. He emphasized the need to create conditions for residents of cities to utilize the book exhibition to the maximum extent possible.

He also emphasized attention to underserved areas and marginalized neighborhoods of the city, adding that the book exhibition has a high potential for expanding cultural justice, and programs should be anticipated for these areas to benefit from this event.

Synergies between executive bodies, the support for Kerman Book Exhibition

Hossein Eshaghi, Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Kerman Province, also described the holding of the 19th International Kerman Book Exhibition as the result of serious interaction and participation of the province’s executive bodies, calling it one of the most important cultural events of recent years in Kerman.

Hossein Eshaghi said: After a six-year hiatus, the book exhibition returns to Kerman once again, and from December 18 to 24 (or 27 Azar to 3 Dey), with the slogan “Book’s smile to Kerman” and within the framework of the “Kerman on high” program, it will host enthusiasts at the Culture and Art Hall.

Referring to the hiatus created in previous years, he said: The spread of Corona and some changes in approach caused the Kerman Book Exhibition not to be held for several years, but this year with the support of the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, this event has been planned in 14 provinces, and Kerman is among the host provinces.

The Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Kerman Province continued: After North Khorasan and Kish, Kerman is the third province to host the book exhibition this year, and this hosting is considered an opportunity to strengthen the cultural movement and promote reading in the province.

Eshaghi, while appreciating the support of the Kerman Governor and the province’s management team, said: The realization of this event would not have been possible without the cooperation and coordination of executive bodies, and its main goal is to provide simpler access for people to the latest publications in the country.

Stating that this year’s exhibition will be held with a different structure, he explained: Unlike previous editions which were booth-centric, in this edition, book sales are centralized, and book purchase subsidies are provided to audiences through the sales system by registering the national code.

The Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Kerman Province added: Selecting works from reputable publishers across the country and avoiding the display of repetitive books are among the advantages of this edition, which helps increase the quality of the exhibition.

He described the exhibition structure as consisting of three sections: physical presence, virtual, and international. He said: In the physical presence section, provincial and selected national publishers are present, the virtual section operates based on bookstores that are members of the Kerman book market system, and the international section will host publishers and cultural guests from countries such as Tajikistan, Armenia, and Lebanon.

Eshaghi also announced a special section for Sardar Martyr Haj Qasem Soleimani, adding: In this section, works related to the field of resistance, Holy Defense, and the culture of sacrifice and martyrdom will be displayed for the audience.

Referring to the side programs of the exhibition, he said: Specialized meetings, book launches, meetings with authors, educational workshops for children and teenagers, and book radio are among the programs that will make the exhibition space dynamic and vibrant.

The Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Kerman Province finally mentioned the role of partner bodies and said: The Governorate, the City Hall, the provincial IRIB center, Education Department, Kerman Municipality, Public Libraries Institute, Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, Police Command, Art Center, universities, and other cultural and executive bodies of the province each participate in various sections of support, execution, and information dissemination for this event.

According to IBNA, the coordination meeting for holding the 19th International Kerman Book Exhibition was held on Sunday with the presence of the Director General of the Office of Social and Cultural Affairs of Kerman Governorate, the Governor of Kerman, the Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance of the province, and a group of executive body managers, at the office of the Deputy Governor for Political and Social Affairs.

In this meeting, the managers of the province’s executive bodies presented reports on their responsibilities for accompanying the exhibition.

The 19th Kerman Book Exhibition, with the slogan “Kerman on high, read for Kerman,” will welcome book and culture enthusiasts from December 18 to 24 (or 27 Azar to 3 Dey), from 9 am to 9 pm at the Culture and Art Hall in Kerman city, with the participation of Iran Book and Literature House and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

This edition of the exhibition will be held in three sections: physical presence with prominent national and provincial publishers, virtual section specific to Kerman province bookstores, and international section with the participation of foreign book distribution institutions and the presence of foreign cultural guests.

Also, a special section titled “Martyr Haj Qasem Soleimani” is dedicated to displaying works in the resistance field, and various cultural and artistic side programs are also planned in the auxiliary section of the exhibition.

According to the announcement by the Kerman General Department of Culture and Islamic Guidance, 335 domestic and foreign publishers will participate in the 19th International Kerman Book Exhibition, and with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and Kerman Governorate, book purchase subsidies in the form of special discounts will be provided to the audience.