The 13th edition of the Fars Great Book Fair with the banner ‘Much Quality, Less Quantity’ is underway in Shiraz, the capital of Fars Province.
Unveiling four books on Fars Province history, photography, cultural faces and Shiraz city were among the programs on the opening day.
For the first time, the youngest author in Iran, 6-year-old Pania Fouladfar, unveiled her storybook ‘The Runaway Hair’ at the event. She has used simple language to convey her childhood fantasy in her story, written for children of her age.
Best publishers and active stalls will be introduced at the event. In addition, discounts worth $300,000 will be offered to the visitors.
The opening ceremony on Tuesday was attended by Ali Asghar Karandish, head of the human resources development bureau and Seyed Abbas Salehi, head of the cultural bureau, at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Honaronline reported.
A program ‘Night Sky’ provides visitors a chance to see the galaxy through 3D equipment. A stall with scientific materials and instruments on space studies is part of the cultural programs. Street theatre will spice up the children’s section of the fair.
A statement by the provincial Culture and Islamic Guidance Organization, said over 1000 Iranian publishers are participating in the six-day event. Newly published books are categorized and presented based on subject matter.
Digital Books
Provincial cultural bureau chief Bahareh Shafiei, said the best publishers will be selected at the event. “The exhibition has put focus on quality of books rather than quantity.”
“As books have made a foray into the digital world, we are also not immune to the technological advancements and are encouraging the reading culture in virtual space,” Karandish said.
The number of publishers attending the event shows a 10% growth compared to the previous edition. The exhibition will run through November 29 at the Shiraz Permanent Fairgrounds.
