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Opening of the International Book and Publishing Fair in Rabat

Opening of the International Book and Publishing Fair in Rabat

Morocco launched the 28th edition of the International Book and Publishing Fair in Rabat yesterday, Thursday, with the participation of 737 exhibitors from 51 countries, and the presence of government officials and diplomatic representatives.

The fair opens its doors to visitors starting this Friday morning until June 11, offering approximately 120,000 book titles across various fields of culture, arts, and sciences.

The Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication, Mohamed Mahdi Bennacer, stated that "the fair sees increasing attendance from the public year after year, demonstrating the close relationship between the reader and the fair, and the ongoing passion for printed books despite technological advancements and the evolution of publishing media."

The Canadian province of Quebec is participating as a "special guest" at the fair to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Canada.

Miriam Paquet-Côté, Director of the Quebec Office in Rabat, highlighted that "32 publishing houses from the National Association of Publishers will represent Quebec at the fair."

Around 661 local and foreign authors, thinkers, and poets will participate in the fair's activities, with a dedicated section for African culture and literature, which was the guest of honor in the previous edition.

Among the participating names from Morocco are Abdelilah Belqasise, Nourredine Al-Aoufi, Mohammed Berrada, Hassan Najmi, Abdelatif Laabi, Abdelkader Chaouki, Said Yaqtin, and Mohammed Benis.

Prominent names from Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, Senegal, Turkey, as well as the Nigerian Nobel Prize-winning author Wole Soyinka, will also participate.

The fair, which first started in 1987, was held annually in Casablanca before moving in the previous edition to the capital Rabat.

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