KUWAIT: Kuwait’s 47th International Book Fair is launching next Wednesday under the patronage of the Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah with the participation of 31 Arab and foreign countries through 544 publishing houses.
Assistant Secretary-General for the Cultural Department at the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters (NCCAL) Aisha Al-Mahmoud announced Sunday that the 47th edition of the fair will be held under the theme "The World in a Book,” symbolizing the significance of the book and its role in presenting culture to society.
She added that the fair’s cultural activities will include three different platforms. The first is the Cultural Corridor introduced last year, which offers various activities targeting youth, including cinema, drama, and poetry-themed evenings. The second platform is the Cultural Café, offering activities in cooperation with NGOs and relevant government bodies, including an honoring ceremony of the fair’s personality of the year Dr Abdullah Al-Ghunaim, who was chosen for his significant contributions to Kuwaiti culture and history. He was awarded a special medal from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for his role in enriching the Quranic dictionary in collaboration with the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences.
The third platform, introduced this year, is the Author’s Corner which will provide sessions with novelists, in addition to information on how to publish a book in Kuwait and the necessary legal procedures to protect the author’s rights. Representatives from NCCAL, the Ministry of Information, and the Kuwait National Library will be present at this platform. There will also be a professional program running over two days, featuring panel discussions about the publishing industry, its art, and the future of Arab publishing. The aim is to equip publishers with the necessary tools to develop their business and the industry as a whole.
Mahmoud also noted that the Children’s Culture Pavilion will offer a range of activities during both the morning and evening sessions. She added that there will be over 90 cultural activities accompanying the fair, including celebrations of prominent Kuwaiti and Arab cultural figures.
She highlighted that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has been chosen as the guest of honor for this edition of the fair. Jordan will present four main lectures at the Cultural Corridor, including topics on the bilateral relations between Jordan and Kuwait, the artistic scene in Jordan, the care for Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque under the Hashemite patronage, and a lecture on creative industries. Director of the fair Khalifa Al-Rabah mentioned that the Kuwait International Book Fair is one of the most distinguished cultural events in the world. This year’s edition will feature 31 countries, including 19 Arab and 12 foreign countries, with 544 publishing houses — 400 participating directly and 160 through agents representing other publishing houses.
He added that three halls at the Kuwait International Fairground in Mishref have been designated for the fair: Hall 5 will host 153 booths for participants from Arab countries, Hall 6 will have 149 booths for Gulf countries, Kuwaiti, Iraqi, and foreign publishers, while Hall 7 will feature 46 booths for government bodies, NGOs, regional organizations, embassies, and the guest of honor, Jordan.
The number of books registered in the fair’s electronic system has reached 243,000 titles, including 14,630 new titles, with 47,367 titles dedicated to children, including 1,929 new books.
Regarding services for the public, Rabah mentioned that the fair’s administration is offering a 25 percent discount on any book sold at the fair. Additionally, there will be automated information centers for visitors, interactive screens, and a search option available via the fair’s website or through QR codes at participating publishers’ stands. — KUNA