.jpg "President Hassan Rouhani honors Danish scholar Hemming Jorgensen (1st from right) for his book “Ice Houses of Iran” during Iran’s Book of the Year Awards ceremony in Tehran on February 8, 2015. Culture Minister Ali Jannati (2nd from left) and Deputy Culture Minister for Cultural Affair Seyyed Abbas Salehi are also seen in the photo.")
TEHRAN -- The winners of the 32nd edition of Iran’s Book of the Year Awards were announced during a ceremony attended by President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran’s Summit Conference Hall on Sunday.
Speaking at the ceremony, Rouhani talked about book reviews, how to learn to compose oral and written reviews, as well as the issue of supervising the publication of books.
“Of course, reviews are possible in a safe and open atmosphere, however we must first learn how to criticize,” the President said at the ceremony.
Addressing the participants, he continued, “You, the literati, must write books, articles and analysis, and write reviews; you must even tell us how a review should be written. I believe the experts in each field have better ideas.”
Talking about supervising book publishing, Rouhani added, “I am not questioning whether or not supervision should or should not exist, rather that we cannot make one hundred principles for supervision. We can establish two or three guidelines concerning morality, national security and sanctities. You can add one more element to it, but the number should not reach one hundred.”
He emphasized that supervising the publication of books must be entrusted to those in charge of books, adding, “Publishers, writers and scholars must come and give their opinions. If a book is published and read by readers, why should it go through a difficult process again for republication?” the President asked.
“Once, books were the only media, however new media are added every day. You, the great scholars must tell us how supervision on cultural issues should be, and your opinions will then be turned into regulations and laws, since a law rooted in experts’ opinions is stronger,” the President explained.
“We must celebrate over the best books, but we should also celebrate the day when the youth would read the most books,” he remarked.
The ceremony attended by Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati continued with handing out awards to the winners.
The following is a list of the winners in various categories:
* “The Lexicon of Valid Hadiths” by Mohammad-Asef Mohseni
* “Herbal Medicine” by Ahmad Emami
* “Sociologie du theatre” ( Jean Duvignaud) translated by Jalal Sattari
* “Dictionary of Iran’s Architectural Works” by Leila Pahlevanzadeh
* “Portrayal of Delight” (analysis of Hafez poetry) by Saeid Hamidian
* “Submersible Geology” by Homayun Motiei
* “Encyclopedia of Great Tehran” by Kazem Musavi Borujerdi
* “Institute of Martyr Sani” by Ali Osat Nateqi
* “Striving in the Path of God: Jihad and Martyrdom in Islamic Thought” by Asma Afsaruddin (Bangladesh)
* “Translation of Holy Quran into Japanese” by Tatsu Ichi Savada
* “Ice Houses of Iran” by Hemming Jorgensen (Denmark)
* “History of Shiism in Lebanon” by Sadun Hamada (Lebanon)
In addition, scholar Najib Mayel Heravi from Afghanistan was honored as a high researcher of Islamic and Iranian studies.
The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is the main organizer of the Book of the Year Awards.
RM/YAW
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