The 77th Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse) was held from October 15–19, 2025, in Frankfurt, Germany. Widely recognised as the world‘s largest and most influential gathering of the publishing industry, the event, under the motto “Connection and Conversation,” hosted over 4,300 exhibitors from 90 countries and welcomed 238,000 trade and public visitors. The Philippines served as the Guest of Honour with the theme “Imagination Breathes Life into the Air”, and more than 3,500 cultural and professional events over the five days created a dynamic platform for exchanging ideas and fostering international cooperation.
Books in Persian Publishing Group had an active presence at this edition of the fair, with the aim of expanding international partnerships and showcasing Iran’s publishing capacities. Over the five days of the fair, the delegation held meetings with 32 distinguished publishing houses from various countries, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, and several Asian nations. These bilateral meetings, conducted in a professional setting with the aim of establishing sustainable cooperation in copyright exchange and translation rights, were met with warm reception from participating publishers, leading to preliminary memoranda of understanding for future collaboration.
As the most significant event in the global publishing industry, the Frankfurt Book Fair accounts for over 75% of the world’s annual copyright transactions. Leveraging this unparalleled platform, Books in Persian presented its translated works and Iran‘s publishing capacities while negotiating participation in European international book fairs with international publishing authorities. Appointments were also arranged to continue dialogue and information exchange at future editions of the fair. A key achievement of this participation was the introduction of the new website of the specialised magazine “Printed in Iran” to international publishers. Published in English with the aim of introducing Iran’s publishing industry to the world, the magazine covers a wide range of topics, including news from Iran‘s publishing scene, introductions to authors, publishers, and publishing institutions, cultural events, translation, and children’s and young adult books.
During the fair, Books in Persian participated in side events including the “Frankfurt Rights Meeting” and “Masterclasses” on topics such as AI in publishing, self-publishing, and digital publishing. By engaging with the Literary Agents & Scouts Centre (LitAg), which brought together 321 literary agencies from 32 countries, the group expanded its connections with international literary agencies. Additionally, by leveraging the networking opportunities of this major event, it enhanced its expertise in international publishing, copyright negotiations, and content marketing.
Emphasising the importance of maintaining year-round communication and information exchange, Books in Persian laid the groundwork for collaboration with numerous publishers at this fair. The magazine “Printed in Iran,” published under the editorship of Amir Salehi Taleghani, with a print run of 6,000 copies in a full-colour, glossy 64-page format, will be distributed not only at the Frankfurt Book Fair but also to international libraries, literary agencies, and cultural centres. Based on the agreements reached, preparations for notable works for the next fair cycle and participation in the 78th Frankfurt Book Fair (October 7–11, 2026) — where the Czech Republic will be the Guest of Honour — are now underway. This effective participation marks another step forward in realising Books in Persian‘s vision of building a lasting bridge between cultures and literatures through multilingual publishing and cultural exchange.