Cairo International Book Fair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cairo International Book Fair |
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Crowds walk among the thousands of titles available at the 41st Cairo International Book Fair, 3 February 2009.
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| Status | Active |
| Venue | Egypt International Exhibitions Center |
| Location(s) | New Cairo in Cairo |
| Country | Egypt |
| Inaugurated | 1969 |
| Attendance | 1,000,000–2,000,000 (estimated) |
| Organized by | General Egyptian Book Organisation |
The Cairo International Book Fair is the largest and oldest book fair in the Arab world, held every year in the last week of January in Cairo, Egypt, at Egypt International Exhibitions Center in New Cairo, it is organised by the General Egyptian Book Organisation. The Fair is considered the most important event in the Arabic publishing world.
Scale
The Cairo International Book Fair is one of the biggest book fairs in the world, drawing hundreds of book sellers from around the world and about 2 million visitors each year. It is the largest book fair in the Arab world, as well as the oldest. In 2006, it was the second largest book fair in the world after the Frankfurt Book Fair.
The fair is also notable as Cairo-based publishers produce an estimated three of five Arabic language books printed in the world, and the state owned General Egyptian Book Organisation—who coordinate the fair—is the largest book publisher in the Arab world. The fair features booths and speakers from private publishers and government agencies from around the world, as well as retailers of books, video, and other media. Lectures, readings, and other public events take place during the almost three weeks over which the book fair runs, and material is presented in Arabic, English, and other languages. The fair purposely appeals to ordinary Egyptians, with media on mainstream topics, outdoor events, and even fireworks to entertain the large crowds.
The CIBF was founded by the General Egyptian Book Organisation, a government publishers and retailers group, in 1969 to coincide with celebrations of the 1000th anniversary of the founding of the city of Cairo. Its 41st iteration was held from 21 January to 5 February 2009. In November 2018, the General Egyptian Book Organization declared that 100 new books will be published under the organizations name in the Cairo International Book Fair.
See also
In Spanish: Feria Internacional del Libro de El Cairo para niños
- Riyadh International Book Fair, where censorship-related controversy has also been common
