Increasingly at these book fairs, the line is being blurred between “public facing” and “professional”, and in increasing numbers the industry names and faces we are all used to seeing at the big western publishing events are lining up to be at these emerging market events, at the same time as regional players are upping their game.


The 56th Cairo International Book Fair is fast approaching its final day, on 5 February.

Long dismissed by the western industry reportage as a “public-facing” book fair in a publishing backwater, the Cairo International Book Fair is, by verified footfall numbers, the largest book fair in the world.

More importantly, in the last couple of years Cairo has become a place to be seen at, as the western industry finally set aside the stereotypes (“Arabs do not read”) and woke up to the enormous potential of the Arab book markets and the fact that Arab book fairs, from Algeria and Sharjah (both 2 million plus visitors) to Saudi Arabia and Oman (1 million plus visitors), have telephone number footfall statistics, reflecting a huge regional interest in books.

The Blurred Line Between “Public-Facing” and “Professional”

Increasingly at these book fairs, the line is being blurred between “public facing” and “professional”, and in increasing numbers the industry names and faces we are all used to seeing at the big western publishing events are lining up to be at these emerging market events, at the same time as regional players are upping their game.

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) is at the fair as usual, but with an even larger presence than usual, reflecting Cairo’s growing significance on the world stage.

The ALC pavilion features 600 titles, including 85 new publications from initiatives such as the Kalima Project for Translation, Basaer series, and Esdarat.

Key Events and Highlights

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award and the Support of Arab Creative Industries: This seminar discusses the significance of the award.

Sard Al Thahab: Visual Narration in the Service of Arab Culture: Focusing on the Sard Al Thahab (Golden Narrative) Award.

Daily Discussions and Workshops

Throughout the fair, the ALC has been hosting writers, intellectuals, and cultural figures for daily discussions at its pavilion. The programme includes the Arabic Coffee podcast series, organised with the Ghaya Foundation, where Arab intellectuals, artists, and writers share their experiences and projects.

Other seminars and cultural workshops are addressing themes such as “Popular Narratives: Insights into Creative Experiences” and “Digital Transformation: A Gateway to the Future of the Publishing Industry.”

Special Evening Sessions

Special evening sessions have been showcasing the Centre’s art publications, including a discussion titled “Visual Art and Poetry: A Mutual Exchange of Influence,” attended by prominent writers, poets, and publishers.

The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair itself will be happening in the UAE April 26 through May 5.

Meantime stay tuned to TNPS for more coverage of the Cairo event.


This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.