TEHRAN -- The concert that was held by veteran Iranian traditional singer Mohammadreza Shajarian in November 2005 will be released on two albums on April 9.

The album “Saz-e Khamush” (Silent Instrument) features Dashti songs and “Sorud-e Mehr” (Song of the Sun) features Bayat-e Turk and Afshari songs.

Foreign troupes interested in Women’s Theater Festival

TEHRAN -- The public relations office of the 6th Women’s Theater Festival announced here on Saturday that theater troupes from India, France, Iraq, and Germany have applied to participate in the event.

The 6th Women’s Theatre Festival will be held in Tehran from July 6 to 14.

So far 420 theater troupes have applied to the secretariat of the festival. April 9 is the deadline for submitting application forms.

Iran to make first appearance in Greek book fair

TEHRAN -- During the Paris Book Fair that was held from March 23 to 27, the representative of Iran’s Cultural Fairs Institute and the representative of Greece’s international book fairs agreed to provide each other free booths at upcoming book fairs in the two countries.

Iran and Greece have not participated in each others’ international book fairs before.

Iranian cartoonist wins prize at German festival

TEHRAN -- Iranian cartoonist Masud Ziaii has received second prize at Germany’s Don Quixote International Cartoon Festival.

The public relations office of Iran’s House of Caricature announced here on Saturday that 315 cartoonists from 60 different countries participated in the competition in which Carlos Brito of France won the first prize.

Ziaii and Naji Benaji of Morocco shared the second prize and Budak Arjin of Turkey won the third prize.