This week’s Cinema Mediation session at Bahar BookCity in Isfahan focused on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and The Little Prince. The conversation began with literature and animation and, through the presence of a pilot, moved toward the experience of flight and its connection to different ways of seeing the world. In the first part of the […]

On Monday, 23 Shahrivar, Ahvaz BookCity hosted a meeting and conversation with writer Mostafa Mastoor. The discussion explored the inner world of fictional characters: love and loneliness, faith and doubt, life and death, and the moments when stories blur the boundary between “I” and “the other”. Participants shared their questions with the writer and revisited […]

To honour Abolhassan Najafi’s contribution to translation and encourage translators to enrich the Persian language, the Book City Cultural Institute will hold the tenth edition of the Abolhassan Najafi Prize this Bahman. The prize will recognise the best translations of a novel and a collection of short stories published in 1404, with an award and […]

A group of spouses of ambassadors and diplomats from Uruguay, Spain, Indonesia, Pakistan, Denmark, South Korea, Kazakhstan and Georgia visited Central BookCity, where they toured its various departments and took part in a meeting devoted to books, translation, children’s literature and opportunities for broader cultural cooperation. The guests included Kaira Fomenko from the Embassy of […]

An intensive story-writing workshop led by Mostafa Mastoor was held in two sessions in Ahvaz by Ahvaz BookCity, in cooperation with the Khuzestan Academic Jihad. The workshop brought together people interested in fiction and literature. The first session took place in the final days of Mordad at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. The discussion covered […]

On Saturday, August 8, 2026, BookCity Central hosted a discussion of The Invisible Collection. The event was held as part of Readability, BookCity Central’s book-club program, in collaboration with Shahrzad & Partners, and welcomed readers interested in fiction. Beyond Reading the Text Led and facilitated by Mahsa Ali-Mirzaei and Sepideh Borzegar, the session began with […]

Azhdar Angoshtari’s Persian translation of Erich Kästner’s Fabian has won the ninth Abolhassan Najafi Award, with Yalda Bidokhti-Nejad’s translation of Narine Abgaryan’s Three Apples Fell from the Sky receiving a special commendation. The Book City ceremony also paid tribute to the late translator Musa Aswar.

Persian: A Living Pulse at the Heart of Pakistan’s Cultural Heritage H.E. Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Iran, visited Central BookCity on Tuesday, 29 July 2026, for discussions on expanding cultural diplomacy and strengthening literary ties between the two neighbouring countries. During the visit, senior representatives of BookCity and […]

Turkish Ambassador Visits Central BookCity to Expand Cultural Cooperation H.E. Dr. Hicabi Kırlangıç, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Iran, visited Central BookCity in Tehran for discussions on expanding cultural exchange and exploring new opportunities for long-term cooperation between the two neighbouring countries. Hosted by senior representatives of the BookCity Institute, the meeting highlighted […]

A launch and discussion of *Women on Wheels* by April Streeter, translated into Persian by Mahsa Jazibi, was held at Central BookCity on Saturday evening, 18 July 2026. Organised in collaboration with Amoozeh Publishing, the event featured sociologist Najmeh Vahedi, cycle traveller Sara Rouhollahi, and the book’s translator, Mahsa Jazibi. Many participants arrived by bicycle […]

A launch for a new compact edition of Rumi’s Masnavi, edited by Dr Mohammad Ali Movahed, was held at Niavaran BookCity on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, drawing an enthusiastic audience. At the literary event, Movahed argued that a precise and profound understanding of the Masnavi requires a close reading of the Maqalat-e Shams (Discourses of […]

To mark Omar Khayyam Commemoration Day, Central BookCity hosted “The Dialectic of Sorrow and Joy: Khayyam’s Model for Resilience in Personal Crises,” attended by readers interested in literature and ideas. Speaker Mohsen Masoudian offered an overview of Omar Khayyam’s scientific and literary life and considered the renowned poet and scientist’s place in the history of […]

As part of events commemorating Omar Khayyam, Central BookCity’s children’s section hosted “A Star from Nishapur (Khayyam)” on 18 May 2026 (28 Ordibehesht 1405). Attended by thirty children, the interactive programme used puppetry and storytelling to present the life and achievements of the celebrated Iranian mathematician, astronomer and poet. Performed by puppeteers and storytellers Mozhgan […]

Shahnameh scholar and actor Mohammadreza Farzam led a workshop exploring why Ferdowsi’s epic still matters, linking its myths and characters to contemporary experience and ending with a reading of the Simorgh’s third feather as a metaphor for hope and cultural continuity in Iran.

As part of events marking Ferdowsi Commemoration Day and celebrating Persian language and literature, Central BookCity hosted an analytical session entitled “War and Negotiation in the Shahnameh,” featuring Dr Nasrin Faqih Malek-Marzban. Faqih Malek-Marzban, professor of Persian language and literature and a faculty member at Alzahra University, offered an in-depth examination of war and peace […]

Central BookCity marked Ferdowsi Commemoration Day with a performance by Elaheh Tajik introducing children to naqqali, Iran’s traditional form of dramatic storytelling. Drawing on the *Shahnameh*, she narrated episodes involving Rostam, Tahmineh and Siavash while inviting young listeners into the performance.

The latest titles in the Brain Club series from Mehrsa Publishing—an Iranian publisher specialising in educational books on the brain and cognition—were launched at Central BookCity in the presence of readers, researchers and members of the production team. The five books presented at the event were My Brain’s Medications, My Child’s Brain, Brain Club 7, […]

Leila Kafashzadeh brought the Iranian folktale *Namaki* to life at Central BookCity through handmade characters, sensory storytelling and conversation. The inclusive session invited children—including two deaf participants—to explore regional variations of the tale and engage directly with its imagined world.