Photos by Hossein Golia, Mehr

TEHRAN, Feb. 7 (Mehr News Agency) -- 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.
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