TEHRAN — A Russian translation of Islamic Revolution leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s commendation for Japanese-Iranian cultural figure Koniko Yamamura’s memoir “An Immigrant from the Land of the Sun” was unveiled on Friday at the 35th Moscow International Book Fair.
Several Iranian officials, including Deputy Culture Minister for Cultural Affairs Yaser Ahmadvand and Ambassador Kazem Jalali, attended the unveiling ceremony.
The Persian edition of the award was released last Wednesday at the International Conference Hall of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.
“The compelling and dramatic life story of this brave lady has appeared in Hamid Hesam’s fine and influential writings,” the leader wrote in a recommendation dating back to May.
He called the book “very readable and insightful” and recommended that Yamamura’s memoirs be made into a film.
Written by Hamid Hesam based on extensive interviews with Yamamura, known by her Iranian name Saba Babai after marrying an Iranian, the book was published by Sureh-mehr in 2020.
In this book, Yamamura tells how she decided to live in Iran and her life after her son Mohammad Babai was martyred during the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988.
“The Supreme Leader is used to writing praise for books and it has become a cultural tradition for him,” Jalali said at the unveiling ceremony of the Russian edition of the leader’s praise for “An Immigrant from the Land of the Sun”.
“The praise for the book is one of the most important examples of his commendations,” he observed, adding: “Koniko Yamamura married an Iranian and gave birth to a child who was martyred in the war; She wasn’t a single mom, but she worked in many fields and became a role model.”
For his part, Ahmadvand said, “Words are soldiers who never die, and the chief envoys of every country are books.”
Iran is presenting over 150 best-selling titles from its latest offerings at the 35th edition of the Moscow International Book Fair, which will be held at the Gostiny Dvor Exhibition Complex until September 5th.
Photo: Ambassador Kazem Jalali (3rd R), Deputy Culture Minister for Cultural Affairs Yaser Ahmadvand (2nd L), writer Hamid Hesam (2nd R) and their colleagues applaud after reading the Russian translation of Ayatollah Khamenei’s praise for ” An Immigrant from the Land of the Sun” on September 2, 2022 at the 35th Moscow International Book Fair.
MMS/GREED
