Under the slogan "We Create Knowledge.. We Safeguard the Word," the Egyptian Ministry of Culture launched the 55th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair today, Wednesday. The fair, held at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in New Cairo, features 1,200 publishers from 70 Arab and foreign countries, including Norway (the honorary guest). The fair was officially inaugurated today by Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly, Minister of Culture Nevine Kilan, Norway's ambassador to Cairo Hilda Klimtstad, President of the Arab Publishers Union Mohammed Rashad, and President of the Egyptian Publishers Union Said Abdo.
Klimtstad, introducing the honorary guest pavilion, stated that it is designed in green and brown colors to reflect Norway’s natural environment, and it will host a series of meetings between Norwegian and Egyptian authors. Among the participants in the cultural program of the honorary guest are writer Hanna Orestad, the head of the Master's program at the Norwegian Institute for Children's Books, Indre Lund Eriksen, illustrator Nora Dosnes, and playwright Karen Ann Paulio.
The fair will begin receiving visitors starting tomorrow, Thursday, and will continue until February 6, coinciding with the mid-year school and university break in Egypt. The fair’s higher committee selected the late Egyptologist Saleem Hassan as the theme for this edition, while the late writer Yacoub El Sharouni was chosen as the character for the accompanying children's pavilion.
The fair organized by the Egyptian General Book Organization includes more than 500 cultural and artistic activities spread across seven halls for seminars and poetry, open spaces for performances and activities, and a large area for children. Among the topics slated for discussion in the cultural program are "The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Jobs in the Publishing Industry," "Cultural Industries and Sustainable Development," "Issues of Colloquial Poetry," and "The Role of Intellectual Property in the Growth of the Knowledge Economy."
Several Arab writers, poets, and critics will be featured at the fair, including Omani writer Zahra Al Qasimi, winner of the 2023 International Prize for Arabic Fiction, Kuwaiti novelist Saud Al Sanousi, Iraqi poet Ali Jafar Al Allaq, recipient of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, and Lebanese writer Hassan Dawood.
The fair will also dedicate part of its events to highlight the situation in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, including a symposium titled "The Future of Egypt's Role in the Palestinian Cause" in collaboration with the Egyptian Center for Thought and Strategic Studies, and a discussion titled "Palestine: The Poet," featuring Palestinian poet Al Mutawakkil Taher. Additionally, a "professional program" will run concurrently with the fair, including seminars, meetings, and workshops specializing in the book publishing and distribution industry.
