Dynamic History of Iranian Book Publishing in Political and Social Settings

Abstract

In this paper, we attempt to present a historical examination of the relation between authors and the objective manifestations of power throughout the Iranian history. In addition to a historical study, using various techniques of interview with people associated with the publication industry, including authors, publishers, distribution companies, and booksellers, we will investigate the latest conditions of book publishing in Tehran. The results of this study suggest that the crowning points of flourish of books in Iran were the political discontinuities, suspensions of governments, and the revolutionary situations. As the institution of power is reestablished, the conditions for book production are disturbed, whether in terms of form or content. In this study, we have suggested that over time, the historical, social and critical aspect of books is reduced and their mass-market aspect grows. The results of the study also indicate that over time, as the power of the cyber world has increased, the government has lost the power of control and it has become practically impossible to objectively manipulate book production. The books are, on the other hand, controlled by the free market. In other words, controlling books has gone out of the control of the repressive state apparatus, and has been transferred to the hands of the free market.