Under the patronage of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the 53rd edition of Cairo’s International Book Fair is inaugurated by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly at Egypt’s International Exhibition Center (EIEC) on the 26th of January, 2022, under the title ‘Egypt’s Identity – Culture and the Question of the Future.’
Egypt’s Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem announced extending the duration of the 53rd Cairo International Book Fair. This came following the meeting of the exhibition’s higher committee headed by Haitham El-Hag.
The minister said that this year’s edition will witness an increase in the number of exhibition days reaching 13 consecutive days, starting from 26 January to 7 February 2022, to provide the public with an opportunity to visit the exhibition and to support the book and publishing industry.
The management of the Cairo International Book Fair has announced that registration is now open for all publishers interested in participating in the 53rd edition, via the website cairobookfair.gebo.gov.eg.
This edition will feature Greece as the honorary guest of honour, late Egyptian writer and novelist Yehia Haqi, as the main character of the book fair, and the late writer Abdel Tawab Youssef was chosen as the main character for the Children’s Book Fair.
Details of the 53rd Edition of Cairo International Book Fair
Egypt’s Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem held a press conference on Monday, January 17 detailing the specificities of the Book Fair. Nearly 1067 Egyptian, Arab, and foreign publishers from around 51 countries are participating in the 2022 book fair.
New technological advancements and artificial intelligence will play a role in this year’s book fair as late Egyptian writer and novelist Yehia Haqi, who was chosen as the main character of the book fair, will appear in a hologram as an interactive presentation with the audience.
The children’s hall-visitors will get to watch one of the stories of the late writer Abdel Tawab Youssef, who was chosen as the main character for the Children’s Book Fair, through virtual reality glasses, as well.
The 53rd edition of the Book Fair is granting an award for the Best Arab Publisher for the first time. The price increased to EGP 40,000 (USD 2545) from EGP 10,000 (USD 635) in each cultural field.
This year, a digitized online sale of books is being launched through the exhibition’s digital platform that was made available during the 52nd edition of the book fair. Delivery services all over Egypt will be made available in cooperation with the Ministry of Communications represented by the Egyptian Post.
According to the General Egyptian Book Organization (GEBO), the book fair is open to the public with an EGP 5 entry ticket. The opening hours of the fair are from 9:00 AM to 8: PM and on Fridays from 1:00 PM. Visitors who are not vaccinated will not be allowed to enter the fair.
Participating countries
A total of 1,067 Egyptian, Arab and foreign publishers are taking part in this year’s edition representing different countries all over the world, namely: Sudan – South Sudan – Libya – Morocco – Tunisia – Mauritania – Algeria – Ghana – Kenya – Nigeria – Mozambique – Somalia – South Africa – Iraq – Malaysia – Kuwait – UAE – Jordan – Saudi Arabia – Lebanon – Yemen – Palestine – Bahrain – Syria – Japan – Sultanate of Oman – Qatar – India – Bangladesh – Russia – China – Serbia – Denmark – France – Germany – Britain – Spain – Italy – Belgium – Sweden – Azerbaijan – Kazakhstan – Norway – Ukraine – Bulgaria – Slovenia – USA – Argentina – Ecuador.
Exhibition area and number of pavilions
The 53rd edition of the Cairo International Book Fair will be held on an area of 80,000 square meters, comprising (5) exhibition halls, and the number of pavilions is 879, and the number of publishers and official Egyptian and foreign bodies reaches 1,063 publishing houses and agencies.
Cultural activity program
The program includes eight main tracks:
-Children’s activities and shows
-Seminars on the culture of plastic arts and fine arts workshops
-Current cultural issues
-Creative pens
-Poetry and poets
-Intellectual meetings
– Cinema
– Theatrical seminars
Exhibition Awards
The Minister of Culture decided to increase the value of the awards presented by the Cairo International Book Fair in the 53rd session from 10,000 pounds to 40,000 pounds. This includes the following:
– 14 prizes for the Best Book Award in the fields of arts and literature.
– The Best Egyptian Publisher Award.
– The Best Arab Publisher Award, which is presented for the first time.
Exhibition entry procedures
Entry ticket price is 5 pounds
Follow the steps to register for a visit ticket through the link on the website
https://cairobookfair.gebo.gov.eg/
Services provided for the exhibition visitors
– Book delivery service via Egyptian Post.
– Special pathways for the elderly and people with special abilities.
– Indoor electric cars to transfer the visitors between the halls.
– Rest areas
-Service areas
– Two center points to receive corona vaccines under the supervision of the Ministry of Health.
– Implementation of precautionary measures for visitors under the supervision of the Ministry of Health.
Transportation to Egypt’s International Exhibition Center (EIEC)
With regard to facilitating transportation for the exhibition visitors, the Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and Communications represented by the Public Transport Authority, has allocated 11 bus lines to and from the exhibition center, covering different areas of Cairo.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli and Culture Minister Enas Abdel Dayem attended on Wednesday 26/1/2022 the opening of the 53rd edition of the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF).
The inauguration ceremony was attended by a number of ministers, senior state officials, diplomats and foreign and Arab guests including Algerian Minister of Culture and Arts Malika Bendouda and Greek Ambassador to Egypt Nikolaos Garilidis, whose country is the guest of honor of the fair this year.
The prime minister asserted that opening the fair on time is a positive message to the world reflecting the state’s keenness on abiding by the schedule of the local and world during COVID-19.
Madbouli and his accompanying delegation toured some pavilions including the defense ministry one which hosts stories and books about the heroism of the Egyptian Armed Forces and also visited the pavilion of the Ministry of Interior which displays books about Egypt’s national security, terror combat and human rights.
The prime minister, also, toured Al Azhar pavilion and reviewed its religious books. Madbouly and Abdel Dayem commended the precious books and publications on display at the pavilion, that represents all Al Azhar’s sectors.
Al Azhar undersecretary Mohamed el Deweiny said Al Azhar’s participation in the fair is underlining the importance of reaching out to all social segments and letting visitors know about its vital role in entrenching the principles of peace, dialogue and accept the other notion.
In addition the prime minister, also, toured the Pavilion of the City of Arts and Culture in the New Administrative Capital, and the large pavilion of Halayeb and Shalateen, which exhibits handcrafted and heritage products, besdies products made of leather, wicker and beads, all of which are made by women in Halayeb and Shalateen.
Source: State Information Service Egypt