Tehran: An Iranian ban on Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel has spurred interest in the book, booksellers said Saturday.
Marquez's book had an initial press run of 5,000 copies but was banned after complaints from conservatives who believed the novel was promoting prostitution.
The novel, known as Memories of My Melancholy Whores in the West, was translated into Persian as Memories of My Melancholy Sweethearts.
The ban has only provoked greater interest in the novel and on Saturday, copies of the book were being sold for more than twice their list price.
Ahmad Abbasi, a resident, said he had to pay $3.70 to buy the novel on the black market—more than twice the price tag.
"I don't know what the book is about. But when the government bans a book, there is something interesting in it. So, I'm buying the book out of curiosity," he said.
The Culture Ministry said a "bureaucratic error" led to the government giving permission for the novel to be published, the daily Etemad reported Saturday.
