Tehran Virtual Book Fair draws strong demand with 804,000 copies sold
Iranian readers purchased more than 804,000 books during the Seventh Tehran Virtual Book Fair, featuring the resilience of the country’s literary culture despite post-war time circumstances, Ebrahim Heydari, chief executive of Iran Book and Literature House and deputy head of the Tehran International Book Fair, announced.
The nationwide online fair, held from May 16 to May 25 under the slogan “Let’s Read for Iran,” generated book sales worth about 3.19 trillion rials, equivalent to roughly $1.87 million at the stated exchange rate. Government support for book purchases and postal costs totaled more than 410.6 billion rials, or about $241,000, IRNA reported.
Heydari said domestic print and digital publishers, alongside foreign Arabic- and Latin-language publishers, offered 496,129 titles for readers to browse. Of those, 134,491 titles recorded sales, including 132,772 from Iranian publishers and 1,719 from foreign publishers.
In total, readers bought 804,421 copies, highlighting sustained public engagement with books and publishing across the country.
Heydari said the turnout delivered a clear message about the enduring vitality of Iranian culture, noting that readers continued to support the publishing industry even during difficult periods.
He thanked book lovers nationwide for backing authors, publishers and booksellers through their purchases.
The annual virtual fair has become an important platform connecting readers with publishers across Iran, extending access to books beyond major urban centers and helping broaden the reach of the country’s publishing sector.