This year’s fair brings together more than 300 publishers and distributors from across the world, with a program that includes book launches, roundtables, workshops, and more than 100 events dedicated to children’s literature. India will serve as the guest of honor.

Iran’s participation is being coordinated by the Iran's Book and Literature House, which will manage a 27-square-meter national stand featuring more than 300 titles. The collection spans classical and modern Persian literature, Iranology studies, children’s books, and works in history and the social sciences.

According to organizers, the aim is to present the richness of Persian language and culture to an international readership while expanding cooperation in translation, publishing, and copyright exchange.

Cultural Attaché Masoud Ahmadvand emphasized the diversity of the Iranian exhibit. “Visitors will find not only Iran’s literary classics but also contemporary voices and a special section devoted to children’s publishing,” he told IRNA.

The stand will also highlight Iran’s growing tradition of book illustration. Author Marjan Fouladvand and illustrator Atefeh Maleki Jou are expected to lead interactive workshops on storytelling, children’s book illustration, and representations of Iranian mythology. Panel discussions and author meetings will further connect Iranian publishers with their counterparts abroad.

This year’s participation also coincides with the commemoration of the 1,500th anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), marked through a number of titles and cultural activities at the stand.

The Moscow International Book Fair, first held in 1977, has become a central platform for cultural diplomacy and publishing exchange between Russia and international participants. With its mix of traditional book culture and focus on digital publishing technologies, the 2025 edition is expected to draw a wide audience of professionals, students, and general readers.

For Iran, the event represents not only an opportunity to showcase its literary heritage but also to strengthen cultural dialogue at a time when international cooperation in the arts is increasingly seen as a form of soft diplomacy.