Chahaltan: Tehran Book Fair Has Nothing to Do with Independent Writers

Amir Hassan Chahaltan, a Tehran-based writer, tells Radio Farda that the Tehran International Book Fair has nothing to do with independent writers. The 68-year-old Chahaltan is a recognized and praised figure abroad for his translations of literary works into various languages. In a phone interview with Radio Farda ahead of the fair, he stated, "I have not participated in the Tehran Book Fair for years, and I do not intend to participate this year either." According to this writer, the reason for such a decision is that "the Tehran Book Fair is completely unrelated to independent writers in Iran." The 35th Tehran International Book Fair began on May 8 and will continue until May 18. This is while some independent Iranian publishers, such as Ketab-e Ghatr, are not present at this fair. The author of the famous novel 'Roudh-e Qasem' told Radio Farda: "This fair is not essentially a fair; it merely carries the name of a fair." He emphasized that the Tehran Book Fair is not a place for introducing Iranian literature abroad, and even Iranian writers face difficulties in introducing themselves within Iran, stressing: "This fair is pointless and completely meaningless." According to Mr. Chahaltan, the Tehran Book Fair is not held based on the principles and characteristics of a fair and is just a "big store." He pointed to the restrictions imposed by the government against his works, stating that in recent years, the Ministry of Culture has not allowed his works to be published in Iran. Chahaltan noted that "the atmosphere has been so hostile to independent writers that I have not even submitted some books to them [the Ministry of Culture officials] for permission." This writer added that he currently has seven or eight written novels that he has not yet submitted to a publisher in Iran for publication. However, in recent years, some of Chahaltan's unpublished works in Persian have been translated and published in other languages. Novels such as 'Khiaban Enqelab', 'Tehran, Apocalypse', 'Khoshnavis Isfahan', 'Tooti-ye Samj', 'Halqeh-ye Asheghan-e Adab', and 'Asheghiyat in Cairo' are among Chahaltan's works that have not been published in Persian but have been translated and published in other languages. Mr. Chahaltan is particularly well-known in Germany and met with Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the President of Germany, in late 2018. This writer is a member of the Iranian Writers' Association. One of his novels, titled 'Mahfel-e Asheghan-e Adab', won the 'International Literature Prize' from the House of Cultures of the World in Berlin in 2020. In addition to German, Chahaltan's works have been translated into English, Italian, Norwegian, Lithuanian, Hebrew, and Arabic. Regarding why he continues to live in Iran despite the restrictions, he said: "For me, participating in the collective life of my compatriots is not a moral obligation, but rather stems from a completely internal and personal necessity." Last year, coinciding with the Tehran Book Fair, reports emerged of a boycott of the fair by publishers and the public.