Tehran Book Fair opens online
President commends books as humanity’s living memory
President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday marked the launch of the seventh Tehran Book Fair with a message describing books as “the living memory of human history and civilization” and a lasting embodiment of human wisdom, experience and knowledge.
In his statement, Pezeshkian called books a shared heritage through which nations think, engage in dialogue and illuminate their path forward. He said the international book fair reflects society’s respect for knowledge and the exchange of ideas.
Citing humanity’s turbulent past, the president said societies that have successfully navigated crises, wars, extremism and the darkness of ignorance are those that have placed books, learning and rational thought at the center of their social and cultural life.
He warned that in today’s unstable global environment—where violence, extremism and domination threaten national security—there is a greater need than ever to promote reading. Sustainable peace, he said, is not forged through destructive power or the shedding of innocent blood, but through knowledge, justice, ethics and mutual understanding among nations, with books serving as the foremost language of such values.
Pezeshkian also paid tribute to writers, researchers, translators, publishers and cultural figures, thanking organizers for staging the event.
The seventh Tehran Book Fair, featuring 2,296 publishers, officially opened online on Saturday, May 16, and will run through May 23 under the slogan “Let’s Read for Iran.” In addition to domestic participants, a number of digital publishers and platforms are taking part, alongside 19 foreign publishers or literary agents.
Held virtually—a format tested in previous editions—the fair is framed as an effort to support the resilience of the publishing industry during wartime conditions. The online platform enables readers to access books around the clock with just a few clicks.
Books are being offered with a 25% discount—comprising a 15% publisher reduction and a 10% subsidy from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance—on purchases up to 20 million rials ($11), with the 15% publisher discount continuing beyond that threshold. Foreign publishers are also offering discounts ranging from 10% to 50% depending on publication year, in addition to a 10% government subsidy.
Orders will be delivered free of charge via postal services, and buyers will have access to customer support for their purchases.