The promotion of Tehran’s publications and translations, new publications, is one of the purposes of Iran’s cultural diplomacy, and the cultural obsession of the Iranian Consulate General in Istanbul, states in Turkey’s 10th Istanbul Publishing Fellowship.
“In recent years, numerous books have been translated and published in the fields of literature, religion and history, distributed to Persian from Turkey, and vice versa,” Irna quoted Hassan Didban as saying.
Referring to the importance of the fellowship program in Turkey, held from February 25th to 27th, he said: “The event was heavily driven, and after Turkey, Iran had the second highest participating publisher in the event.”
He detailed how publishers and literary institutions operate under the Istanbul Publishing Fellowship, explaining that the event focuses on buying and selling of intellectual property rights (copyrights) in books.
“Iranian publishers participating in the event have had the opportunity to introduce their books to the international market. In recent years, the number of active Iranian publishers and the books they present at the event has been steadily increasing,” he pointed out.
Announcing that 27 publishers from Iran have participated in the 10th edition of the event, Didban said they were able to establish agreements with publishers and literary institutions in other countries.
Officials also explained the role of backtranslation in translating books from Persia into other languages and their impact on Iran’s miscellaneous cultural diplomacy. “The book exchange between Iran and Turkey serves as a reflection of the shared cultural heritage of both countries, particularly in literature, history and religious studies,” he added.
The Istanbul Publishing Fellowship Program is a copyright market project aimed at bringing together Turkish and foreign publishers in Istanbul each year to bring cultural works to readers of various geographical locations. The program is organized by the Turkish media and publisher Copyright & Licensing Association (TBYM) and supported by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The event is one of the world’s largest gatherings of publishers and literary institutions. Started in 2016 with the aim of supporting publishers and literary institutions, the fellowship initially featured participants from nine countries. It has expanded significantly in recent years. The 10th edition featured around 370 literary institutions and publishers from 75 countries, holding nearly 4,500 in-person and online meetings.
SS/SAB