Rastoon Books

Rastoon Books
Name	Rastoon Books
Founded	2003
Founder	Arman Rastoon
Country	Iran; United Kingdom
Headquarters	Tehran; London
Publications	Books; Graphic novels; Translations
Genre	Children's literature; Young adult fiction; Educational; Graphic novels

Rastoon Books is an independent publishing house established in the early 21st century with activities spanning Tehran and London. It became known for illustrated children's titles, translated fiction, and graphic-novel projects that engaged with cultural heritage and diaspora topics. The press operates imprints and partnerships across the Middle East and Europe and has been involved in international book fairs and cultural programs.

History

The company emerged during a period marked by post-2000 publishing expansion, intersecting with the 2003 Baghdad security changes, the 2004 European Union cultural funding shifts, and the 2005 Frankfurt Book Fair emphasis on Middle Eastern literature. Early years saw collaborations with institutions such as the British Council, the UNESCO regional offices, and the Iranian Academy of Arts. Engagements included appearances at the Tehran International Book Fair, the London Book Fair, and panels alongside representatives from the Library of Congress, the National Library of Iran, and the International Publishers Association.

Founding and Ownership

Founded by Arman Rastoon, the press drew on networks connected to the University of Tehran, the School of Oriental and African Studies, and cultural NGOs including Amnesty International affiliates and the Open Society Foundations. Ownership structures shifted with minority investment from a London-based cultural fund linked to the British Council and a Tehran consortium with ties to the National Film Board of Iran and private collectors from the Tehran Stock Exchange. Governance featured advisory input from editors associated with the Guardian arts desk, the BBC Persian Service, and the State Hermitage Museum publishing unit.

Catalogue and Publications

Rastoon’s catalogue combined picture books, YA novels, and graphic narratives. Notable thematic series engaged with Persian folklore, adaptations of tales by authors referencing the Shahnameh, reinterpretations aligned with conservation projects near Caspian Sea ecosystems, and educational picture series used by the UNICEF regional programs. They produced bilingual editions in Persian and English, collaborating with translators who had translated work for the Nobel Prize in Literature laureates and contributors to anthologies alongside the Pushkin Press and the Penguin Random House international lists. Their illustrated atlases and art books referenced collections from the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Carnegie Museum of Art.

Authors and Illustrators

The press published work by writers and illustrators linked to the Saadi Foundation, alumni of the Al-Mutanabbi Street Book Market scene, and contributors with pedigrees that included residencies at the Cairo International Book Fair and the Hay Festival. Collaborators included authors who had contributed to journals like Granta and The New Yorker and illustrators who exhibited at the Venice Biennale and the Salon du Livre in Paris. Ghostwriters and translators associated with projects had prior credits with the IBBY lists, the Man Booker International Prize, and translations for the Harvill Secker imprint.

Distribution and Imprints

Distribution networks tied Rastoon to wholesalers operating in the Middle East Book Company, European distributors active at the Frankfurt Book Fair, and specialty retailers serving diasporic communities in London, Paris, and Toronto. Imprints focused on educational materials licensed by municipal libraries in Tehran boroughs and small presses in Cambridge, England and collaborations with micro-presses in Amsterdam and Berlin. Digital distribution included EPUB releases listed with platforms comparable to those used by the Open Letter Books collective and ebook aggregators that supply the British Library digital lending pilots.

Reception and Impact

Critical reception ranged from praise in cultural columns of the Guardian and the Independent to academic interest from departments at the SOAS University of London and the University of Oxford. Titles were shortlisted for regional awards administered by the Emirates Publishers Association and reviewed in journals such as the Times Literary Supplement and the New York Review of Books cultural sections. Impact assessments highlighted use of Rastoon publications in community literacy initiatives modeled on programs by the Reading Agency and philanthropic reading campaigns resembling efforts by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s library programs.

Controversies and Legal Issues

Controversies included disputes over translation rights with agencies representing authors who had contracts with the Copyright Agency Limited and takedown requests involving contested imagery from collections at the British Museum and private estates linked to the Pahlavi family. Legal issues involved litigation in civil courts where plaintiffs cited breach of contract and moral-rights claims similar to cases heard by the High Court of Justice in London and tribunals that had adjudicated disputes for publishers at the Court of Cassation (France). International rights negotiations occasionally intersected with sanctions-related compliance checks referencing regulations enforced by the United Nations Security Council and export controls monitored by the UK Export Control Joint Unit.

Category:Publishing companies