Held under the theme “Your New Story,” the fair opened Saturday with more than 400 domestic and international publishers. Cyprus is the guest of honor for this year’s edition.

The opening ceremony featured Cypriot poet Haralambidis, who delivered remarks reflecting the fair’s theme, and was attended by Serbia’s Culture Minister Nikola Selaković, Cyprus’s Culture Minister, and the ambassadors of Iran, Tunisia, Palestine, and Finland, Iran’s cultural attaché in Serbia Amir Pourpezeshk told the Iranian Book News Agency (IBNA).

According to Pourpezeshk, Iran has regularly taken part in the Belgrade fair, showcasing books in both Persian and Serbian. This year, Iran’s stand- located in Hall 4, named after the late Serbian poet Vasko Popa- covers 24 square meters and features around 100 titles in Persian, English, and Serbian, presented by the Cultural Center of the Iranian Embassy on behalf of the Iran Book and Literature House.

“Over the past two years, 15 Iranian titles have been translated into Serbian, all of which are on display at the booth,” Pourpezeshk said, adding that the event has drawn participation from major international publishers and distributors. “Many works by Iranian authors published by Serbian presses are also being featured in other publishers’ stands.”

Pourpezeshk noted that the fair attracts between 200,000 and 300,000 visitors annually, a significant figure for a country of about seven million people.

Four New Iranian Works Presented

Iran’s cultural mission in Serbia will also host a special event on Tuesday, Oct. 28, to unveil four new Serbian-language publications from Iran’s literary heritage. These include Selected Tales from the Masnavi, Contemporary Iranian Short Stories—an anthology of 21 writers from Mohammad Ali Jamalzadeh to the present—Iran in the Palm of Your Hand, the first Serbian-language guide to Iranian studies and tourism, and Noor Magazine, the annual publication of Iran’s cultural attaché office in Serbia featuring Iranian cinema and culture.

The ceremony will feature Aleksandar Dragović, author, translator, and editor of Noor; Dr. Nenad Milošević, president of the Serbian Literary Association; Dr. Emra Khalilović, Iranologist and orientalist; and Žarko Čigoja, director of Čigoja Publishing. Iranian students Amir-Ali Netaj and Zahra Alidousti will recite selections from Rumi’s Masnavi to close the event.

The 68th Belgrade International Book Fair, running through Nov. 1, continues to serve as a major cultural platform connecting writers, publishers, and readers across Europe and beyond.