Rabat – About 775 exhibitors representing 51 countries will participate in the 30th edition of the International Publishing and Book Fair (SIEL), which will be held in Rabat from April 18 to 27, under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
This edition, which will bring together 311 direct exhibitors and 464 indirect ones, offers a vast selection of more than 100,000 titles, covering all fields of knowledge and literary genres.
Presented on Monday in Rabat during a press conference, the 30th SIEL will see the participation of numerous researchers, writers, and creators, Moroccan and international, offering a dense daily programming with an average of 26 activities per day led by more than 762 speakers, through conferences, literary meetings, poetry evenings, and book presentations.
Organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, in partnership with the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, the Wilaya of the region, and the Rabat commune, this cultural event provides for tributes to iconic figures of Moroccan creation, whose works have marked the national culture and contributed to its influence.
The program will also include tributes to personalities of Arab culture, organized in partnership with ALECSO, in addition to the presentation of literary prizes, notably the Ibn Battouta Prize for travel literature and the National Reading Prize.
This edition will honor the Emirate of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), thus strengthening its positioning as a global cultural center, and its role in the promotion of Arab and Islamic culture.
In this sense, Sharjah offers a rich cultural, artistic, and civilizational program, focusing on culture, literature, arts, and publishing, expressing its vision of the future of Arab culture, and the role of publishers, through a delegation of Emirati writers, intellectuals, and publishers.
The Sharjah Book Authority will present events illustrating the dynamics of the Emirati literary and creative scene, with the participation of more than 15 publishing houses, as well as the organization of round tables to strengthen cultural exchanges with Morocco, workshops for children, heritage shows, and Arabic calligraphy sessions in collaboration with Moroccan calligraphers.
This year, the Fair will celebrate Moroccans of the World who contribute to the influence of Moroccan identity beyond borders. Thus, a tribute will be paid to four prominent figures in the history of Moroccan immigration, notably Abdellah Bounfour (specialist in Amazigh studies), the late Ahmed Ghazali (playwright and museologist), Lalla Khiti Amina Benhachem Alaoui (first Moroccan journalist at Belgian radio and television), and the late Driss ChraĂŻbi, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the publication of his novel "Les boucs" in Paris.
The literary program of the Moroccan diaspora will also include a poetry evening with readings of poems in Arabic, Amazigh, French, English, Italian, and Spanish. A retrospective of 10 pioneering films of Moroccan cinema on emigration/immigration is also planned.
Likewise, two special issues of magazines will be published: the first of the magazine Diptyk (dedicated to Moroccan visual artists of the world) and the second of the magazine Tel Quel (dedicated to immigrant women novelists).
Speaking on this occasion, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi BensaĂŻd, stressed that the choice of Sharjah as guest of honor illustrates the Fair's commitment to upholding the values of Arab cultural cooperation and the importance of opening up to others, highlighting the importance of strengthening the ties of Moroccans of the world with their motherland.
He thus noted that his department is working in concert with institutional, professional, and associative partners to make this 30th edition a major cultural event, contributing to boosting the Moroccan cultural scene and strengthening the influence of Rabat as a cultural destination at the national and international levels, even as the city prepares to hold the title of World Book Capital in 2026.
For his part, the President of the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME), Driss El Yazami, indicated that the celebration of the late Driss ChraĂŻbi is a way to discover his creative journey, through an exhibition of photos and testimonies retracing his life, noting that this tribute to Moroccans of the world will allow for a better understanding of the intellectual and cultural evolutions of the diaspora, in particular the rise of women's literature, compared to the first generation of migrants.
Like previous editions, a rich and varied program will be intended for children and students. It will include 712 activities, including 660 educational workshops spread over six spaces specially set up within the "Children's Space". In addition, a dedicated space will showcase a printed collection of comics inspired by the famous "Smurfs" series.
This article More than 700 exhibitors at the 30th edition of the SIEL first appeared on MAP Express.