Tehran publishers call for stronger state support at virtual book fair
Iran’s publishing industry is facing mounting economic pressures and requires greater government support, Tehran Publishers and Booksellers Union head Ibrahim Karimi said, as the seventh Tehran Virtual Book Fair opened on May 16 on the book.icfi.ir platform under the slogan “Let’s read for Iran”.
Karimi said the virtual fair is intended to ease book sales while reinforcing Iran’s long-standing cultural engagement with literature, Nournews reported.
He added that the format could be strengthened through broader cultural programming, including online sessions with writers, translators, poets and illustrators, to partially replicate the dynamics of physical exhibitions.
He noted that the publishing industry is grappling with constrained liquidity, declining purchasing power and rising production costs, which have driven print runs down to as low as 200–300 copies for many titles.
He also pointed to administrative and structural challenges, including tax-related issues, insurance contributions and the proliferation of unauthorized reproductions of bestselling books, which he said have weighed on publishers.
Karimi said that while economic strain persists, recent months have shown a mild increase in footfall at bookshops, suggesting that public interest in reading remains intact.
He added that reducing production costs would help ease retail prices and encourage wider readership, stressing that coordinated state support and cultural planning are essential to sustain the sector’s long-term vitality.