Iran participates in 67th Int’l Belgrade Book Fair
The 67th International Belgrade Book Fair kicked off in Serbia, with the Islamic Republic of Iran participating in the event. The book fair, which runs from October 19 to October 27, is being held at the Belgrade Fair Exhibition Center.
This year’s book fair, organized under the slogan “The Word is Free”, has brought together 418 publishers from Serbia and abroad, including Iran. Cuba is the guest of honor at this year’s event, IRNA reported.
The opening ceremony was attended by Serbian Minister of Culture Nikola Selaković, and Cuban counterpart Alpidio Alonso Grau, ambassadors and cultural representatives of various countries, including Iran’s Ambassador to Serbia, Rashid Hassanpour, and Iran’s Cultural Attaché, Amir Pourpezeshk.
According to Pourpezeshk, “Iran has good cultural and historical ties with the Balkan region, which dates back to the Ottoman Empire’s presence in the region. For 500 years, the Ottomans ruled the Balkans and had connections with Greater Iran, resulting in cultural and historical ties between Iran and Serbia.”
Until a few years ago, the Persian language was taught in most schools and educational institutions in the Balkans, and books such as the ‘Gulestan’, ‘Bustan’, and ‘Mathnawi’ were part of the curriculum, he added.
“Currently, there are 50 Persian-speaking poets in the Balkans, and over 1,500 Persian words are used in the Serbian language, which is an important aspect of our cultural ties with Serbia.” Pourpezeshk noted.
Miguel Barnet, a renowned Cuban poet, writer, and anthropologist, who was present at the ceremony, said: “As a Cuban writer and intellectual, it is a great honor for me to give the opening speech on behalf of the Cuban delegation. This event is one of the oldest and most important literary spaces in Europe.”
Barnet also praised Serbian culture, saying it has been a reference point for writers in Latin America and the world since the Middle Ages.
He specifically mentioned the Miroslav Gospel and the epic songs that are performed with traditional music.
During the opening ceremony, Selaković and Alonso Grau visited the Iranian pavilion, where they were welcomed by Hassanpour and Pourpezeshk.
The International Belgrade Book Fair features publishers from several countries, including Cuba, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Italy, Congo, Morocco, Germany, Romania, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Croatia, Montenegro, and Iran. In addition to the exhibition, visitors can attend over 500 events on the sidelines of the fair.
The Iranian cultural center in Serbia, with the support of the Iranian Book and Literature House, is participating in the fair with a 24-square-meter pavilion, showcasing Iranian publications in Persian, English, and Serbian. Four new books published, with the support of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, will be introduced and unveiled during a special ceremony. These books include ‘Divan-e Hafez’, and a magazine featuring success of Iranian women published in the Serbian Literary Association magazine.