Baghdad - Al-Forat
Preparations are under way on Al-Mutanabbi Street in central Baghdad for the annual book festival, which this year brings together more than 200 Iraqi and Arab publishers, along with cultural institutions, public libraries and universities, under the slogan “Baghdad Reads”.
The organising committee said the festival will run for a full week, with events spread across exhibition stands along the street, the Qishla building and the Baghdadi Cultural Centre. Opening hours will be extended until 10pm to accommodate visitors, and a digital platform will let them search for titles and find out where they are on display.
Publishers from Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Tunisia and Morocco are taking part alongside Iraqi publishers, who make up more than half of the participants, while the committee has set aside stands for university presses and official institutions displaying their publications at nominal prices.
A packed programme
- Daily seminars on the state of publishing and reading in Iraq
- Poetry evenings featuring poets from Baghdad and the provinces
- A dedicated pavilion for children’s and young adult books, with drawing and storytelling workshops
- Signings of new books by Iraqi writers
A member of the organising committee said the children’s pavilion is being held on this scale for the first time and includes a group reading corner and puppet shows, in an effort to connect the new generation with printed books, adding that a number of writers will read their stories to children in person at morning sessions.
“Al-Mutanabbi is not just a book market; it is Baghdad’s memory, renewed every Friday”Mohammed Hassan, a bookshop owner on Al-Mutanabbi Street
Baghdad Police Command said it had drawn up a plan to secure the festival and organise visitor entry through the street’s entrances, with parking set aside in nearby areas, amid expectations that more than 100,000 people will visit during the festival.
Publishers hope the festival will boost sales after a quiet summer, and several have announced discounts of up to 40% on their titles, along with special offers for university and school students. Some say rising paper, printing and shipping costs are still pushing up book prices for readers.
