Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF)

Tehran International Book Fair is staged in Tehran early in May on an annual basis. The cultural event has turned into a landmark, momentous book fair in the Middle East and Asia aŌer 26 editions in a row. Millions of visitors inspect the fair every year, including thousands of university students, schoolers and their families. The event currently serves as the most significant cultural event in Iran. Number of publishers at hand and country of origin Average 2,500 domestic and 1,700 foreign publishers participate in the landmark event. The foreign publishers substantially offer their materials in English or Arabic, however titles in French, German, Chinese, Korean or Japanese are also available. Publishers participating in the latest edition of the book fair in May 2012 represented over 88 countries. The fairground was 75 thousand square meters in area and the event run for 10 days. Direct book sales All books are up for grab through direct sales during the event. In the domestic section of the TIBF event last year, over 600 billion Rials (nearly $46 million) worth of books were sold. In the foreign section, the government allocated a line of budget worth $9 million to subsidize the sales of universities, libraries or university students nationwide. They were allowed to purchase their titles at a discount of 70 percent. Millions of Dollars worth of books were also sold during the fair without government subsidies. Panel discussions and other cultural projects Hundreds of cultural projects are carried out during the term of the landmark Tehran event as sideline activities, including book review sessions, face-to-face meetings with Iranian authors, lecture sessions, and writing workshops. In the latest edition of the TIBF event over 250 sessions of the kind were staged in a center in the fairground called House of Authors. Number of visitors Over five million people inspected the 26th edition of the TIBF event staged in early May 2013 out of which an estimated one million people inspected the pavilions dedicated to foreign publications. Subscription to TIBF Foreign publishers willing to join the next edition of Tehran International Book Fair are invited to visit Iran pavilion at Frankfurt Book Fair for registration affairs or otherwise register directly through the website of the event available through www.tibf.ir. In Iran, Provincial Book Fairs Help Take Books to Remotest Areas in Country Provincial book fairs have been staged across the Islamic Republic as a major cultural event with a first such exhibition held in 1993. From the outset, the Iran Cultural Fairs Institute took on the mission to stage the events across the country under the auspices of the IRI Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Some 215 editions of such fairs have already been held in total. The events are held on an annual basis in thirty provincial centers countrywide. They offer a ground to cultural folks and fans to exchange views and share thoughts with one another.
The cultural events help proTehran International Book Fair (TIBF) EVENTS 40 Printed in IRAN vide a rendezvous for both producers and consumers of cultural commodities to know about the demands and expectations of one another. By the provincial events, it has largely been seeking to promote and expand the culture of book reading nationwide as a major step to upgrade the levels of knowledge among different strata in society, especially in remote areas of the country. It has also been sought to help the receiving populations to boost their cultural records, having close access to titles largely published and distributed in central cities. The cultural shows have been helpful in creating an exuberant cultural ambience during the term of events as they helped encourage people and authorities in various organizations or bodies nationwide to join book reading activities and help enhance local libraries or cultural complexes. They have also helped provide necessary grounds for discovering and actualizing untapped talents in every corner of the country. Having decentralized such activities, the cultural events have also offered chances to domestic publishers to enjoy the face-toface connection with their audience. Book fairs in number Iran Cultural Fairs Institute over the past two decades (1992 – 2012) has collectively staged some 215 editions of such local book fairs in provincial centers countrywide. Indeed they have been of much help to take the culture of book reading to remotest areas of the country.
Special sideline sections The provincial cultural events are not confined to display of books rather there are special sideline sections during the events where other book-related projects are carried out. These might include sections for children and youngsters, different art shows or ad-hoc exhibitions to present the potentials available or existing in the respective province where any such event is going to be held. Panel discussions on book related themes As a major sideline activity during the term of such provincial events, special panel discussions are staged where authors talk with people and different first edition titles are reviewed. On average, every event may see three such panel discussions overall in different fields. Distribution of publications Distribution of books was once a major problem for the Iranian publication industry. As a major accomplishment, the provincial events have helped publishers to see their titles distributed nationwide, especially in remote areas in a balanced and appropriate way. According to latest estimates, the provincial fairs have grabbed over 17 percent of total nationwide distributions. On average over 400 publishers are at hand in every such exhibition, puƫng average 40 thousand titles (over 400 thousand volumes of books) on stalls for display or sales. The titles, all available at a discount of 40 percent are largely purchased by ordinary people, students, libraries or book shops that normally find litle access to major book markets that run in several metropolises across Iran. Cultural development Levels of public participation in cultural activities, especially book reading is considered an indicator of cultural development. The provincial book fairs have helped the nation to improve in terms of the indicator. On average, over seven million people inspect the events annually, each spending an average three hours browsing the titles on display according to data collected from poll related sources. Promotion of publishing business As an additional achievement, the provincial book fairs have helped domestic publishing folks to enjoy a buoyant business; per annum, over 130 billion Rials (nearly $10 million) worth of publications are sold through the book fairs. The large sales besides promoting the status of publishers have left positive deep cultural effects on the receiving populations. Publishing Associations in Iran Publishing related activities and projects gathered momentum in Iran following the triumph of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 prompting the emergence and establishment of different associations or unions for the purpose of the national publishing industry. These bodies either serve the publishing or print related affairs. The growing trend has also seen many associations of authors, compilers or translators to emerge in the field, including the Association of Authors of Children Books, Iran Pen Society, Iranian Poets Society, the Association of Iranian Illustrators, and the Iranian Translators Society among others. The book publishing sphere has witnessed the emergence of more associations or unions with the longest serving of which, ‘the Union of Tehran Publishers and Book Shoppers’ dating back to 1961. Another major association in the field is ‘the Cooperatives Company of Tehran Publishers and Book Shoppers” that was established in 1978. Similar projects are running nationwide in different provinces countrywide in the form of cooperative companies. The IRI Twenty-year Vision has tasked the government to devolve part of state responsibilities to private sector and encourage establishment of more cultural associations nationwide in a bid to enhance levels of knowledge and insight in society and promote the national culture and art. Such associations are currently helping stage book fairs and serve as a base for cr eating essential intellectual and executive grounds in scientific and educational affairs. Some of the active guild associations in the field are the Ashena Union of Cooperatives Publishing Companies, the Cultural Association of Publishers of Children Books, the Assembly of E-Publishers, the Association of Sports Publishers, the Cultural Association of Iranian International Publishers, the Cultural Association of Academic Publishers, the Association of Sacred Defense Publishers, and the Association of Islamic Revolution Publishers. No. 1080, Enghelab Ave., Tehran, Iran.
Tel: +98 21 66 41 55 41 / 66 41 52 71
www.icfi.ir www.tibf.ir