Last year the Washington National Book Festival clocked a record 200,000 visitors. The Cairo International Book fair has just beaten that in its first two days, averaging 108,500 visitors a day, despite cold weather and a venue that, because of renovations at the usual location, is challenging some would-be attendees.
UK’s Bradford Lit Fest and USA’s Washington National Book Fest see record attendance
The Cairo International Book Fair last year attracted a crowd of 4.5 million, and hopes to set a new record this year, which is the Golden Jubilee.
The event runs until 2 February, so it could happen, but the new location may thwart that ambition despite the fleets of buses laid on to get booklovers to the venue.
But in any case the Cairo International Book Fair is unlikely to lose its crown as the world’s largest literary event.
Via Ahram Online.
for a somewhat different assessment, see:
Has Cairo book fair lost its luster at 50?
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/01/mideasts-largest-book-fair-in-trouble.html