The closing ceremony of the "40th edition of Iran's Book of the Year Awards" and the "30th International Book of the Year Award of the Islamic Republic of Iran" was held on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at Vahdat Hall, with the presence of the representative of the ECO Cultural Institute.
According to the ECO Cultural Institute, Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian President, Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili, Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and Hamid Parsania, Scientific Secretary of the Book of the Year Awards, delivered speeches about books, writing, and the importance of library and reading at the ceremony which was held simultaneous with the 44th anniversary of the glorious victory of the Islamic Revolution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
During the ceremony, the Iranian President emphasized the valuable role of books and libraries in the growth and dynamism of society and stated: “Libraries have been attacked by invaders throughout history. This way, they assaulted the civilization and culture of that society. This is while books should always be considered a symbol of cultural transmission. The government focuses on culture, which is a sensitive issue, and the ceremony of the Book of the Year Awards as well as the attention given to all authors shows awareness of culture and its status.”
Moreover, referring to the valuable books written by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, and Seyed Ali Khamenei, the Iranian Supreme Leader, Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili emphasized the importance of the books and libraries and added: “We consider it our duty to support the cultural infrastructure.”
Thereafter, Hamid Parsania presented a report on the activities implemented for the 40th edition of Iran's Book of the Year Award, saying: “Out of 250 books, 60 books were worthy of recognition, out of which 9 books were selected and, in the end, 3 books won the 30th International Book of the Year Awards.”
Eventually, the winners of the "40th edition of Iran's Book of the Year Award" and the winners of the "30th International Book of the Year Award" were honored in the presence of Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian President, Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and Hamid Parsania, Scientific Secretary of Book of the Year Award, Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, the President of Saadi Foundation and the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, and representatives from the embassies of Italy, China, and Georgia.