The Kuwait International Book Fair kicks off on Wednesday with the participation of 29 countries and humanitarian initiatives to support the children of Gaza

Kuwait is preparing to host its forty-sixth International Book Fair, which will start next Wednesday at the exhibition grounds in the Mushrif area. This cultural event is one of the most prominent international forums that bring together book and culture lovers, as 29 countries and 486 publishing houses will participate in it this year, displaying more than 171,000 book titles.

Khalifa Al-Rabah, director of the exhibition, stated in a press conference held on Sunday that participation includes 18 Arab countries and 11 foreign countries, and the exhibition will contain 11,000 titles of new books published in 2023. The exhibition will be opened on a large area of ​​18,000 square meters, divided into… Three halls contain pavilions with different classifications, including Arabic and foreign books, government publishing houses, and private houses, in addition to children’s literature.

Al-Rabah explained that the exhibition offers a 25% discount on all displayed books, and Kuwaiti theaters will implement an initiative through which they distribute a free book to every student visiting the exhibition. The total number of free books reached about 20 thousand books.

In his answer to a question about the impact of the situation in Gaza on the exhibition, Al-Rabah confirmed that the exhibition offers a voluntary initiative that allows 3% of sales to be allocated to support libraries and children in Gaza, in coordination with the Kuwaiti Red Crescent.

This year, the exhibition devotes a part to celebrating the late Kuwaiti poet Fahd Al-Askar (1917 – 1951), where artist and performer Hussein Dashti will embody his character. The exhibition is scheduled to include various activities, including “Amateur Musicians,” “Artists’ Mural,” “You Are the Cover Star,” and “The Council in a Picture,” in addition to many interactive activities and browsing of first editions, in addition to a paper and electronic publishing debate and an awards competition. Creative students.

The Saudi critic and translator Saad Al-Bazai was chosen as the person of the 46th session, and he will participate in a dialogue session next Wednesday.

The exhibition also witnesses many cultural activities, including the lecture “The Crisis of Modern Arab Thought” by Dr. Muhammad Al-Rumaihi, the “Between a Writer and a Writer” sessions, and the presentation of the most prominent publications, including the novel “The War” by the Omani novelist Muhammad Al-Yahyaei, winner of the Katara Prize for Arabic Fiction for the year 2023. .

It also includes the novel “Travels of the City of Mud” by the Kuwaiti novelist Saud Al-Sanousi, and a collection of short stories entitled “One Star May Be Enough” by the Kuwaiti writer Basima Al-Anzi.

The exhibition activities host a number of young Omani poets, such as Hisham Al-Saqri, Muntadhar Al-Musawi and Talal Al-Salti, to talk about the Omani poetic experience. A special symposium will be held on the occasion of the centenary of the Iraqi poet Nazik Al-Malaika.

In conclusion, Mohammed Al-Maghrabi, responsible for cultural activity at the exhibition, confirmed that the organizers were keen in this session to avoid repetition in names and topics, and to ensure diversity in choices, noting that the topics of cultural activity will vary between two halls, including history, literature, cinema, philosophy, and children’s literature.

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