The city of Marrakech has just acquired a Book Festival to reinforce its influence and attractiveness.

Initiated by the "Le Kitab bleu" Association, the first edition of this book event, which will honour Moroccan authors of French expression, will take place on 24 and 25 October at Dar Attaqafa in Daoudiate, with the famous French journalist, television host, and writer Patrick Poivre d'Arvor and the Moroccan singer, poet, and novelist Sapho as patrons. Nearly thirty novelists, poets, essayists, and short story writers of different generations are expected at this great cultural event placed under the honorary presidency of Pierre Bergé, writer, patron, and president of the "Jardin Majorelle" Foundation.

It involves, among others, Mahi Binebine, Kenza Sefrioui, Leïla Slimani, Abdellah Taïa, Moha Souag, Kaoutar Harchi, Driss Ksikes, Aziz Binebine, Ali Chraïbi, Reda Dalil, Yassine Adnan, Mohamed Bennis, Lamia Berrada, Mohamed Nedali, Driss Jaydane, Abdellah Baïda, Abdelghani Fennane, Hicham Houdaïfa, Mehdi El-Kourti, Yanick Lahens, Vénus Khoury-Ghata, François Salvaing, and Guillaume Jobin. This Festival will be the opportunity "to approach the book in all its cultural, artistic, and popular forms," specify the organisers who have concocted a programme as rich as it is varied, including notably a dramatic writing workshop for the benefit of students and another dedicated to poetic writing, as well as storytelling sessions for both children and adults. This event came into being thanks to Joschi Guitton and Stéphane Guillot, founders of the Book Fair of the Ile de Ré (South-West of France) and Emmanuelle Sarrazin, a French publisher based in Marrakech.