Despite the cold weather and the challenges of Covid-19 and Omicron, thousands of readers and book lovers flocked to the Cairo International Book Fair.
This year’s fair has more activities and services than in previous years. In addition to offering transport from anywhere in Cairo (only LE10 a ticket) to the Centre for International Conferences and Exhibitions in New Cairo, you can order books online, and have them delivered to your door. Another major problem solved as many out-of-towners wonder how they will lug all those tomes home. Now you can leave your purchases at the fair and they will follow you home.
For the sprogs
Hall 5 is for the little and not-so little ones. Everything a child could possibly want is here — books, special events and an area for activities for them to join in.
“It is really enjoyable for children as there is a place for them in which they can play and learn new things as well,” said mother-of-two Amani Ahmed.
At the Children’s Exhibition is a 400 square-metre space for activities for children throughout the day. A writer can tell stories suitable for the age of the audience and interact with them. The theatre corner stages performances for children and sometimes the youngsters can be part of the play.
Dr. Eman Sanad, who is responsible for organising kids’ activities, said this year is the first time to allocate an entire hall for children.
“The decision to allocate Hall 5 for the Children’s Exhibition came from Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem. The hall includes everything related to the child from publishing houses and children’s publications, and the activity corner in one place where children and their families find all their needs, so that parents can leave their children in the activity corner and go buy books from around the area and then return,” Sanad said.
This year also the Book Fair is offering a unique experience for visually impaired people: a special pavilion for books written in Braille with the slogan ‘Culture is under the fingertips of every blind person’. This pavilion has been part of the fair since 2009, and every year they add new books.
Greek connection
Greece is participating as a guest of honour at this edition of the Book Fair. The General Authority of the National Library and Documentation, headed by Dr Nevin Mohamed Moussa, is holding an exhibition of documents and periodicals that illustrate the close relations between Egypt and Greece, in the pavilion of the Ministry of Culture in Hall 3.
The exhibition includes a number of rare documents about King Constantine’s visit to Cairo to attend the celebrations of St. Catherine’s Monastery, and the text of a cultural agreement between Egypt and Greece that was signed on September 4, 1956.
The exhibition also includes periodicals dealing with Gamal Abdel Nasser’s visit to Greece on May 28, 1960, and the historic visit of President
Abdel Fattah El Sisi for Athens in November 2020.
Greek culture vultures will have access to Greek writers whose books were translated into Arabic and have recently been published in Egypt, for example: Persa Koumoutsi and her book Voices of Alexandria, Amanda Michalopoulou’s Why I Killed My Best Friend, and The Resurrection of Michael Jackson by Dimitris Sotakis.
Bargains galore
One of the major attractions of the Book Fair every year is the massive discounts on the books offered by many publishers.
Exhibitors and publishing houses compete to offer the best prices for books and publications.
Bargains are to be had in ‘Your Culture is Your Book’ — an initiative launched by the Minister of Culture to encourage reading — is offering distinguished publications from various sectors of the Ministry of Culture, and the price of a book is no more than LE20, less than a greenback.
The pavilion of the General Authority for Cultural Palaces is also offering books starting from LE1 up to LE30.
Also, the National Centre for Translation presents its publications at a 50 per cent discount for all students.
Dar Nahdet Misr is offering a variety of special offers and discounts up to 40 per cent on all versions of cultural books and children’s books, and 30 per cent on modern publications.
And of course, the AUC Bookstore is also offering special bargain titles starting at LE30 and discounts are up to 75 per cent.
The Book Fair runs until February 7. But, if you would like to buy some books from the comfort of your own home, the Book Fair this year is offering an online service. Visit their website at: https://egbookfair.com/
