Bahman Dorri, Cultural Deputy of Guidance Ministry, said the Book of the Year Award is the most important award in the field of written culture. "Book of the Year Award is the most strategic, noble festival in Iran," he said.

IBNA: A press conference was held this morning at the House of the Literati of the Book House Institute in the presence of Bahman Dorri, Cultural Deputy of Guidance Ministry, Ali Shojaei Saeen, head of executive manager of the Book House Institute, Majid Hamidzadeh, scientific secretary of the 29th Book of the year award, and a number of journalists and reporters.

In his keynote speech, Dorri outlined the award's goals and chief features saying that the award has been tried to be held void of any political currents.

"The 29th edition of the Book of the Year Award is arranged in three different sections, namely: domestic books, foreign books, Quranic translations from 2001 to 2010," added Dorri. "It should be noted that Quranic translations since the Islamic Revolution to 2001 were considered in the former edition of the award."

Strengthening religious culture and belief systems, promoting common culture and information in the country, bolstering book reading hours, encouraging creators writers to create valuable works, expanding wisdom and thinking in the society, making attractions for writers to consider issues related to the country, its culture and civilization as well as Islam, encouraging researchers and critics to follow the values of the Islamic system are some of the issues Dorri considered as the award's goals.

He went on to name some of the salient features of the 29th award. Screenings are being done more meticulously in comparison with former editions of the award, he asserted. Besides, the number of submitted works has grown and more works are scheduled to be reviewed by the panel of judges.

Later in the conference, Hamidzadeh, scientific secretary of the award, highlighted the 30% increase in the number of submitted works to the secretariat of the festival compared to its 28th edition. A total of 19,843 book titles were considered by the judges for the former edition of the festival, however, the number is 25,742 titles this year, he stated.

He went on to say that the submitted works are categorized into 10 main categories to be assessed by a panel of 1,232 judges. Moreover, 308 screeners who picked 19 winners and 54 praiseworthy works from 40 subcategories conducted the final round of assessments. The number of winners is the same as that of last Book of the Year Award but 10 more titles are selected as praiseworthy works, he further added.

50 gold coins will be granted to the winners together with an honorary statue by the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Besides, 12 gold coins will be given to the writers of praiseworthy works by the minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mohammad Husseini.

In the foreign section of the award, 24 works will be lauded, said Ali Shojaei Saeen in his address. "The works cover issues about Iranian studies and Islamic studies."
The 29th Book of the Year Award of the Islamic Republic of Iran will held in the presence of the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Tehran's Vahdat Hall on Wednesday, February 8, 2012.

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