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Another Bold Presence of Kazakhstan in the Tehran International Book Fair
2024-05-09 11:15
Gohar Omarkhanva is an author, translator, journalist and the representative of Kazakhstan and its culture at the Tehran International Book Fair who presented 85 books in the fields of literature, culture, The history of Kazakhstan, and the translation of Persian and Kazakh poems, as well as several contemporary artworks by the Kazakh artist Alpysbai Kazgulov.
Regarding the cultural diplomacy between the two noble nations of Iran and Kazakhstan, she mentioned that any event that takes place in the name of “an international gathering” has a great impact on cultural relations since different people from different strata and nations find a chance to meet each other and learn more about, let’s say foreign history and literature. in her opinion, such exhibitions and events have a positive impact not only on the relations between Iran and Kazakhstan but also on the cultural interactions between all the countries who take part in such fairs.
She continues with her experiences of meeting with the rest of the audience and exhibitors, saying that thanks to this international event, the ideal of making contact with a wide range of nations has become tangible.
According to Ms. Omarkhanva, the relations between Iran and Kazakhstan have improved widely over these years, and Iran has conducted many cultural expediencies in Kazakhstan with a strong presence in cultural events in this country. She stated that Kazakhstan is expected to attend more and more cultural events in Iran so that the people of Kazakhstan are also introduced to Iranians. Iran and Kazakhstan have an interrelated past and have been through peace and hostility throughout history, but today when it comes to the diplomatic and cultural status of the two nations, solidarity and cultural familiarity are the only things that come to mind.
In continue she adds that the Tehran Book Fair has a significant impact on the cultural exchange in the form of an international bridge since every book that is written and translated into a foreign language would find its audience; Of course, it is the responsibility of translators to introduce the literature of a nation to the rest of the world.
Ms. Omarkanva also believes that the exhibition is a good opportunity for the solidarity of people from different cultural backgrounds, and the relationship should not be cut off after these ten days of the fair so that people experts can use the publishes and knowledge of other countries.
On the cultural parallels between Iran and Kazakhstan, which were sometimes influenced by each other, she referred to the similar history and ideology of social events such as New Year's Eve and Yalda's night, pointing to the fact that with the implementation of common customs, nations are trying to preserve the symbols of a common culture. In her opinion, the initial focus should be put on these cultural similarities and not differences.
She also spoke of her efforts in the translation field, and that today in Kazakhstan Persian books are translated directly and not from Russian, French and other languages as it was before, thanks to Iranian experts and cultural consultations in the country. In the case of improving people-to-people familiarity she pointed to the “Advice Letter of Abai”, which has been translated by Safar Abdullah into Persian.
According to her presence as a representative of Kazakhstan for the second time at the International Book Fair of Tehran, she compared the status of the exhibition and pointed that many efforts have been made and many countries have been present. She stated that the fair had the capacity to cover the presence of lots of other stands and hopes for a more powerful engagement of the absent countries.
In the end, as the representative of Kazakhstan puts it, in general, the international exhibitions are very useful, especially the book fair, because the person who finds a book is happy ones he finds it, and once again when he reads it. perhaps a book can have a significant positive impact on a person's life, and people should read a lot of books and feed their souls. Referring to this year's theme of the exhibition (We read, We build), she also added her conception of this slogan: (read and build a better future)
