By Manal Abdel Fattah
Yesterday, the activities of the 16th edition of the Erbil International Book Fair were launched in the city of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani opened the exhibition, which was organized by Al-Mada Agency for Media and Culture, in the presence of a number of guests, representatives of countries, political figures, intellectuals and journalists.
Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani inspected the exhibition pavilions, expressing his happiness at the participation of the huge number of publishers and countries, and expressed his satisfaction with the participation of ancient publishing houses in this cultural edifice, pointing out the importance of the presence of Egyptian and Arab publishing houses.
“The 16th edition of the Erbil Book Fair carries the slogan (Read… Your intelligence is not artificial) and is held at the International Fairgrounds in Erbil – Sami Abdul Rahman Park.”
The exhibition includes various activities, including dialogue seminars, book signing parties, musical evenings, and artistic initiatives, covering all pavilions of the exhibition.
Publishing houses from 22 countries, most notably Egypt, participate in the Erbil Book Fair, and it includes 1,500,000 different titles in all fields and specializations, with discounts of up to 50%, in addition to shipping and delivery services for lovers of reading and culture.
The exhibition is one of the largest cultural events in Iraq and includes books in different languages, under the supervision and organization of the Ministry of Culture and Youth in the Kurdistan Regional Government, with the participation of 300 publishing houses. The exhibition lasts for ten days and the exhibition opens its doors from ten in the morning until eight in the evening.
Kurdish journalist Sherko Habib said that the Erbil International Book Fair is an opportunity for dialogue between cultures, very similar to what is happening at the Cairo International Book Fair in Egypt, stressing the strong state of rapprochement between Erbil and Cairo in their interest in culture and arts and what the political leadership in the two countries attaches to this sector that influences awareness. General.
Habib added that the exhibition supports the presence of all publishers and its cultural program discusses important issues without excluding regional and international affairs, and the title of this session aims to communicate with the future.
