TIBF provides a good opportunity for readers: Pathfinder representative

1393/02/13-11:14

Representative of The Pathfinder Press in London, Tony Hunt said that Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF) has provided a good opportunity for the Iranian people and enthusiasts from other nations to visit a tremendous fair

In an interview with IBNA, Hunt said that Tehran International Book Fair is a large fair and the people who attend it are a very literate population. "There are different reports about the level of literacy in the UK but in Iran, I think people read a lot and the level of literacy is high, so we see a lot of people here and when you have a literate population, a lot of people want to get hold of books," he said.
Hunt then compared his last visit to TIBF 16 years ago to this year’s experience and said: "I came to Tehran's Book Fair in 1998 and like any other organized event it has become more efficient and more organized. This one is different from the past and I have a very positive experience here."
Answering a question about comparing other book fairs such as Frankfurt Book Fair to Tehran's Book Fair, Hunt said that Frankfurt's is a quite large fair and it is mainly targeting the people who work in book trade. Also, the audience, the people who buy and read books, are the main targets. He added that Frankfurt Book Fair is trying to reach people who read books and it is mainly a trade fair and quite different from TIBF.
About the role of private sector in publishing industry in the UK, Tony Hunt said that most publishers in the UK are quite huge private and international corporations. He pointed to The Oxford University Press and The Cambridge University Press as part of large publishing private groups. Obviously, these comments indicate that the private sector should be fortified so that publishing industry becomes more sophisticated. 
About e-books and their influence on reading population, the representative of Pathfinder Press said that these books are convenient and cheaper, "but I think much people still read physical books. In e-books, for example, people can go to footnotes directly and quickly, however they appreciate the artistic qualities of well-produced paper books."
The Pathfinder Press was established in New York City in 1969 and it has published documentary works on the Communist International, Fourth International and Socialist Workers Party, writings of Fidel Castro, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X and other American and international leftist leaders, as well as historical and analytical works on a variety of national and international political issues.