Book lovers from across the region are making a beeline to the 13th edition of the Palestine International Book Fair, thrown open to the public on 7 September, 2023.
The fair was inaugurated by Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh at the National Library grounds in Surda near Ramallah. Themed ‘From the Nabka to the State’, the international book fair is being organized by the Palestinian Ministry of Culture.
In his speech, Prime Minister Shtayyeh said that the Nabka, which refers to the destruction of Palestinian society and the permanent expulsion of the Palestinian Arabs from their homeland in 1948, meant the loss of much of historic Palestine, which was the gateway to the Arab renaissance and culture, with the cities of Haifa, Jaffa, Jerusalem, and Safed having numerous cinemas, theatres, libraries, and radio stations.
More than 61,000 titles are on display, with over 390 local and regional publishing houses and agencies from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, and the UAE, making it the largest international book fair in the history of Palestine. Additionally, the exhibition is also hosting four official pavilions from Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, and Oman.
Palestinian Culture Minister Atef Abu Saif said that the fair will also include pavilions for various government institutions, civil society groups, and several cultural organisations.
Literary icons Salma Al Jayousi and Zakaria Mohammad are being honoured posthumously at this year’s event. The book fair also features an art walkway where Palestinian artists get a chance to display their works on a daily basis, in addition to the children’s corner with a gamut of activities, and theatre and art corner in the front yards of the exhibition.
The Palestine International Book Fair concludes on 17 September, 2023.
