TEHRAN -- Winners of this year’s edition of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s International Book of the Year Awards were announced in a ceremony named “Iranian Night” held on Friday evening.

Iran National Library and Archive (INLA) director Ali-Akbar Ash’ari, Culture Deputy of the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohsen Parviz, and Simorgh Committee head Hojatollah Ayyubi were among the participating guests.
The ceremony held at the venue of the INLA began with a short speech by Ash’ari who said, “Today we are facing movements around the world which have been inspired by the Islamic Revolution, and this Revolution not only did not decline but also went on to encounter new and great events.”
The ceremony continued with a music performance by conductor Ramyar Behzadi.
Afterwards, the awards were handed to this year’s international winners.
Nigel Tallis and J.E. Curtis (Britain), Adel Theodor Khoury (Lebanon), Robert Morrison (the United States), Mohsen Reza Heidari (India), Vali Ahmadi (Afghanistan), Yasin Muhammad (South Africa), and Manuchehr Moshtaq Khorasani (Iran) were among the award winners at the international section.
In addition, head of INLA Iranology Department Mohammad-Hadi Zahed, the National Museum of Iran curator Mohammadreza Mehrandish, and the National Library of Iran director Rasul Jafarian were among those who received the honorary plaque of the World National Memory section.
Researchers of Iranian culture and civilization were also honored including Kaveh Bayat, Emadeddin Sheikhol-Hokamaii, Mahmud Salari, Behruz Imani, Fazel Hashemi, Yunes Karmati, and Habibollah Azimi.
The ceremony ended with a performance by the Rudaki band and singer Abdolhossein Mokhtabad.
Photo: A foreign winner leaves the stage after receiving his prize during the presentation ceremony of the Islamic Republic of Iran International Book of the Year Awards, which was held at the Iran National Library and Archive on February 6, 2009. (Mehr/Hossein Golia)