Speech
by the President of the Indonesian Publishers Association (Ikapi)
on the Opening Ceremony of the Indonesia International Book Fair (IIBF) 2025
at Jakarta International Convention Center (JICC)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh
Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Thank you to each and every of you for being here with us today. We are very pleased to be able to welcome those of you that have been with us for a long time now as well as those who are new to our event, Indonesia International Book Fair. We appreciate your presence.
We would like to extend a special welcome to our guest of honor Dr. Fadli Zon, who will be speaking later. He is the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia. But, more than that: He is a bibliophile. He is a writer. He is an editor.He is even a librarian. He considers books as his best friends, taking care of them, collecting them, and reading them. And that’s why, for Ikapi, he is our partner in crime.
Terima kasih atas kehadiran Anda, Pak Fadli Zon. Sulit membayangkan acara pagi ini—hingga lima hari ke depan–dapat terselenggara tanpa dukungan yang luar biasa kuat dari Kementerian Kebudayaan. Sebagaimana kita saksikan di negara lain, pameran buku internasional meniscayakan kehadiran pemerintah, mengingat banyaknya aspek yang terlingkup di dalamnya: Dari kecintaan terhadap ilmu pengetahuan hingga kecerdasan literasi, dari ranah industri ke cita-cita kemajuan bangsa, dari pengakuan hak cipta hingga diplomasi budaya.
Terima kasih pula kami sampaikan kepada Bapak Ahmad Mahendra, Direktur Jenderal Pengembangan, Pemanfaatan, dan Pembinaan Kebudayaan; Ibu Endah Tjahjani Dwirini Retnoastuti, Direktur Jenderal Diplomasi, Promosi, dan Kerja Sama Kebudayaan; Ibu Annisa Rengganis, Staf Khusus Menteri Bidang Diplomasi Budaya dan Hubungan Internasional; serta Prof Dr Ahmad Najib Burhani, Direktur Jenderal Sains dan Teknologi Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi, Sains, dan Teknologi Republik Indonesia.
We are also so excited to have all of you that have made this event shining. Allow me to express my gratitude to:
o H.E. Dr. Zuhair Saleh Muhammad Alshun
Ambasssador of the State of Palestine and the Dean of All Arab Ambassadors in Indonesia
o H.E. Abdullla Salem Aldhaheri
Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates
o H.E. Prof. Dr. Talip Küçükcan
Ambassador of the Republic of Turkiye
o H.E. Abdulmonem Annan
Ambassador of Syrian Arab Republic
o H.E. Sudqi Al Omoush
Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
o Her excellency Alreem Hassan A.H Al-Ibrahim
Charge d’Affaires a.i. of the State of Qatar
o H.E. Dr. Mohamed Trabelsi
Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia
o H.E. Sheikh Mohamed Ahmed Salim Al Shanfari
Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman
o H.E. Dr. Ammar Hameed Saadallah Al-Khalidy
Head of Mission/Chargé d’ Affaires of the Republic of Iraq
o H.E. Abdelouahab Osmane
Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
o H.E. Mr. Mawlawi Sadullah Baloch
Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
➢ Rekan-rekan para pengurus Ikapi, Ketua dan anggota Dewan Pertimbangan Ikapi, dan panitia IIBF 2025;
➢ and last but not least; para penerbit, distributor, penulis, illustrator, editor, produser, dosen, pelajar, dan tamuundangan yang tak dapat kami sebutkan satu per satu.
Welcome to Indonesia International Book Fair.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This year, Indonesia International Book Fair (IIBF) celebrated its 45th anniversary. This represents a significant achievement in terms of consistency and resilience in running a book exhibition. The IIBF remained steadfast even as the world was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the book industry suffered a severe blow.
Consistency is the key to any cultural strategy, including building a reading society. The exhibition’s continued improvement post-pandemic demonstrates that the public has grasped the message of literacy, leading the nation and state into a golden era.
Books, as reading materials, are a primary source of societal change toward progress. While literacy infrastructures exist, especially in this digital age, books are unbeatable in many ways. They bring about fundamental, stronger, and more profound changes, with far-reaching impact.
We know many books that have moved the world. In the history of the Indonesian archipelago, the story of Saijah and Adinda in the sixth chapter of Multatuli’s Max Havelaar galvanized the nation’s movements and strengthened European understanding that colonialism was not a truth. Then, in the early 20th century, a book titled “Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang” (Out of Darkness Comes Light or Fi Dzulumati ilan Nuur), a collection of letters by R.A. Kartini, inspired women’s emancipation in this country, and continues to this day.
Books build a wealth of knowledge, attitudes, and imagination. Give Max Havelaar to 500 regents/mayors, and you’ll discover 500 perceptions and interpretations of oppression and leadership ideals. Read Nashaihul Ibad by Sheikh Nawawi Al-Bantani to a million students, and you’ll see a million children embodying the advice of scholars and putting it into practice with purity of heart, purity of soul, and politeness of character.
IIBF is an effort to widen public access to reading materials and create a reading atmosphere. As with bookstores, schools, and libraries, exhibitions bring people closer to books, and further foster reading habits and instill a love of knowledge.
Books, access to books, and cultivating reading habits are the keys to literacy capacity. No nation moves forward without an increase in the literacy index. The two are related because literacy is the human ability to absorb information to improve one’s quality. The more literate a nation is, the faster it will enjoy progress.
Books are not just a medium of information, but also the foundation of civilization. When access to books is expanded, when reading becomes a culture, and when authors and publishers receive the protection and appreciation they deserve—then this nation will grow on a strong intellectual foundation.
IIBF 2025 is the stage to begin that journey. In the spirit of exploration and enlightenment, let us return books to their rightful place: at the center of civilization.
Thank you.
Arys Hilman Nugraha
