The selected works of the 43rd Iran’s Book of the Year Awards were unveiled during the closing ceremony of the prestigious cultural event, held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on Sunday in the presence of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi, and a large gathering of writers, researchers, intellectuals, and members of the literary community.
The awards were presented across several categories, including art, literature, religion, philosophy, psychology, applied sciences, and pure sciences and in each category, winners received their awards from President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Addressing the ceremony, President Pezeshkian highlighted the fundamental role of books and reading in shaping human behavior and guiding societies toward awareness, growth, and progress. He stressed that reading is deeply rooted in human nature and serves as a vital path toward knowledge, excellence, and development.
“Through books, human beings move toward awareness and perfection. Whatever capabilities we possess today are the result of books and the efforts of teachers,” the president said, adding that any shortcomings in society must be examined and addressed through the same path of knowledge and learning.
The president emphasized that books serve as a guide from darkness toward light, noting that in all spheres—including economics, industry, and politics—success depends on awareness, understanding, and the proper application of knowledge.
Pezeshkian underscored that ignorance of books and their teachings among managers, policymakers, and officials leads to deviation from justice and ethical governance. “If we had truly acted upon the teachings of Quran and divine books, we would not be facing many of today’s challenges,” he remarked.
Many social problems arise from a lack of awareness, reading, belief, and proper implementation of knowledge, he mentioned.
The president further noted that reading books fosters healthier social relations, reduces hostility, and promotes humanity. “Books help us think objectively about ideas rather than react emotionally to individuals. They remove arrogance and create space for fair judgment,” he said.
Pezeshkian also linked Iran’s support for Palestine and oppressed nations to human values derived from awareness and moral responsibility, emphasizing that the same commitment must be applied to addressing domestic social challenges.
The president also expressed optimism that with the cooperation of scholars, researchers, and writers, effective methods for transferring knowledge to future generations would be developed. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining constructive engagement with the intellectual community and utilizing their expertise to promote national development and progress.
For his part, Seyyed Abbas Salehi said that Iranians, through their scholarly works across various fields of knowledge, authored and nurtured the history of the Islamic Golden Civilization, noting that the country’s national identity is, in many ways, indebted to books.
He stated that Iranians, in Islamic sciences, humanities, and natural sciences alike, shaped and cultivated the history of the Islamic civilization through the books they authored. “In this sense, our national identity is fundamentally indebted to books,” he said.
The minister emphasized that for more than a millennium after the advent of Islam, Iran and Iranians have shaped and interpreted their identity through books. He cited seminal works such as the Shahnameh, Kalila and Demna, the Divan of Hafez, and Sadi’s Golestan and Bustan as texts that molded and refined the Iranian characters.
“Books have been inseparable companions of Iranian civilization both before and after Islam,” Salehi said, adding that the Islamic Revolution ushered in a new era for the country. “One distinctive feature of Iran’s revolution was that it was not a revolution of bullets, but a revolution of words. Because it was a revolution of words, books have held a special place throughout these years.”
In the National section, “Touch,” written by Mohammadreza Kateb, and “I Am ibn Battuta: A Collection of Stories” by Khosro Abbasi Khoudelan were selected as best books in Novel and short story sections respectively.
In the philosophy section, “Physics” by Aristotle, translated by Esmaeil Saadat, won the award.
“The Man of Wisdom and Tolerance: The Life, Thoughts, and Works of Ayatollah Haj Sheikh Abdul Karim Haeri Yazdi” by Seyyed Abbas Razavi won the award in the religion category.
In the art section, “Architectural Thoughts in Persian Writings in Eastern Iran during the Early Islamic Centuries” by Farzad Zerehdaran won the award, while “Light Design in Architecture” by Zahra Sadat Zomorodian, Mohammad Tahsildoust, and Seyedeh Nastaran Seyyed Shafavi, and “Palatial Architecture in Later Ancient Iran: A Critical Study” by Ehsan Tahmasebi shared the award for the architecture section.
In classic poetry section “Tada’ei: A Collection of Poems” by Zeinab Ahmadi received the award and “Photochromic Glasses” by Mahboubeh Rad won the award in modern poetry section.
Numerous books were also recognized in various other categories.
Iran’s Book of the Year Awards was first established in in 1955 with the aim of encouraging contributors to knowledge and culture. The inaugural award was presented to the authors of eleven selected books published in 1954. Since then, an annual call has invited writers, translators, and authors to submit five copies of their works, first published in Persian during the previous year, for evaluation by a panel of judges.
Until 1978, the award was presented in the fields of literature and literary techniques, humanities, social sciences, and children’s and young adult education. With the escalation of revolutionary events and popular movements, the award ceremony was suspended. Four years later, in 1982, the issue was revisited by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and in 1983 the regulations governing the selection of the Book of the Year were approved by then-Minister Seyyed Mohammad Khatami. Since then, the award ceremony has been held annually during the Ten-Day Dawn anniversary period.
MNA/TT
Your Comment