The event, which aims to strengthen Iran’s presence in the global publishing landscape, is scheduled to take place May 12–15 alongside the 36th Tehran International Book Fair.

According to a statement from the Cultural Affairs Department of the Ministry, 30 of the 91 foreign applicants will be selected by a panel of judges.

The participating publishers represent a diverse array of countries, including Argentina, Australia, China, Egypt, Hungary, India, Italy, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, and Vietnam, among others.

In addition to international interest, 64 Iranian publishers have also registered for the fellowship. Of these, 40 will be selected to take part in the program, based on specific criteria evaluated by the selection committee.

The Tehran Publishing Fellowship, a first-of-its-kind initiative for Iran, is designed to foster collaboration among publishers, authors, and literary agencies. It focuses on the sale and exchange of intellectual property rights, and will highlight children’s and young adult literature with an emphasis on illustrated works in its debut edition, Iran Daily wrote

The ministry has previously supported similar efforts through translation and publication grant programs such as “Grant” and “TOP” (Translation of Persian Works), aimed at promoting Persian literature abroad. However, no official Persian equivalent for the term “fellowship” has yet been designated by relevant institutions.

The 36th Tehran International Book Fair will run from May 7 to 17 under the theme “Let’s Read for Iran”.