The first and so far only Rabat incarnation in 2022, it transpires, was heavily financed by the Rabat authorities, to the tune of 8 million dirhams ($762,000) on top of the MAD 12 million ($1.1 million) allocated by the government, while Casablanca has never contributed “even a dirham”.
Lately styled the Morocco International Publishing and Book Fair, the long-running Casablanca International Book Fair is this year being held in June instead of February, and once again in the Moroccan capital Rabat, rather than the international cultural city of Casablanca.
Originally the move was supposedly because the Casablanca site was being used as a temporary hospital for Covid patients, but it would seem that was an unfortunate move for the historic town.
The first and so far only Rabat incarnation in 2022, it transpires, was heavily financed by the Rabat authorities, to the tune of 8 million dirhams ($762,000) on top of the MAD 12 million ($1.1 million) allocated by the government, while Casablanca has never contributed “even a dirham”.
No wonder Casablanca is still out of favour. And now it seems likely Rabat will be the permanent host for Morocco’s biggest cultural event.
Read more here.
