An Introduction to Cultural Association

of Children and Youth Book Publishers

The Cultural Association of Children and Youth Book Publishers is the only non-profit and non-governmental cultural organization in the field of children and youth book publishing which started to work actively and in a broad and integrated level after the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The association, in a about twenty-eight years, with empathy and sympathy of the members and with internal cohesion was the founder of various cultural activities at the national level and in this way it has benefited from the participation of other public and private institutions.

The Cultural Association of Children and Youth Book Publishers began to work in 1990 with thirteen members. However, today with eighty-six members they have released more than 25000 books and other cultural products such as teaching aid products, brain teasers, CD-ROMs, etc. Considerable numbers of the members' products have been awarded in different literary and illustration festivals. Some of the members have been repeatedly selected as the top publishers of the year by the cultural institutions. One of the most important activities of the association during the years was to enter the non-traditional distribution of books and cultural products which various initiatives have implemented in this field and still lots of other activities and programs are planned for the future. The association has implemented dozens of independent exhibitions and has participated in the organization of book exhibitions in association with other institutions. They have also done special activities in this area, some of which being so unique that led into expanded activities. A list of them is mentioned below:

1. Holding the "First Children and Youth Book Fair" in six areas of Tehran in 1990.
2. Setting up ten mobile bookstore units in Tehran for the first time in Iran in 1993.
3. Holding 1000 book exhibitions in 1000 schools on the occasion of the "Book Week" in 1993; this activity led into the launch of the first "Book Week" in the same year and it is still continued.
4. Participation in planning and establishment of "Book City" which is now the biggest chain book store in Iran and held three "Specialized Exhibition of Children's book" in 1995, 2009 and 2010.
5. Holding 27 book fairs in 27 provinces on the occasion of "Book Week" in 1997 as the first national exhibition of the private sector.
6. Holding 100 exhibitions in 100 cities of Iran on the occasion of "Book Week" in 1998. The second year of this national program was expanded compared to the previous year.
7. Holding the first specialized student book fair in 1999.
8. Accepting the responsibility for the children and youth halls of the International Book Fair of Tehran since 20 years ago.
9. Holding ten years of "Book, Children, Industry and Agriculture Book Festival" from 2004 to 2013 in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Industry and Agriculture of Iran, with the aim of taking children's book at the Workers 'and farmers' houses, holding hundreds of exhibitions and stores in the factories all over the country and introducing the best industrial and agricultural units in this program.
10. Holding the "Top Book of the Year Festival" from 2006 to the present; in 2010 more than 3000 titles were participated in the festival and got the highest record among the similar festivals in Iran.
11. Participation in planning and setting up the children and youth book section in "Book Garden"; the biggest book store of Iran.
12. Planning the program of "Children and Youth Book Publishers Training".
13. Donating more than 430000 copies of books to the rural libraries in four years and we aim to continue this process.
14. Participating in Frankfurt, Bologna, and Shanghai Book Fairs since 2005.
The products produced by the members of the Cultural Association of Children and Youth Book Publishers are in different subjects and for different age groups.