110 thousand titles, spread over 313 pavilions from 39 countrie, China is the guest of honor
Director of the 39th edition of the Tunis International Book Fair to be held from April 25 to May 4 under the slogan “We read to build”, said that 110,000 titles distributed over 313 pavilions, 147 of which are Tunisian, will be available to reading and book lovers, adding that 39 countries are participating in this session, in which the People’s Republic of China is the guest of honor as part of Tunisia’s openness to others. This participation will culminate in signing several agreements in the book industry between Tunisian publishers and their Chinese counterparts and translating samples of Chinese books into Arabic.
Other countries such as Venezuela, Italy, Russia, Romania, France, Spain, Portugal, Japan and Venezuela will also present special programs that “serve the rapprochement of nations and civilizations and enshrine the diversity of relations and experiences.”
Visitors to the exhibition will also have meetings with distinguished figures in the art of the novel, communication technology, intelligence engineering and culture from Tunisia, Arab countries and abroad, such as Rachid Boujdra (Algeria), Mohamed Mesbah (Tunisia), Ibrahim al-Koni (Libya), Habib Abdul Rab Sroury (Yemen), Osama al-Musallam (Saudi Arabia) and the Palestinian writer Abdel Fattah Dawla.
Reflecting Tunisia’s firm stance in support of the Palestinian cause, the state dedicated a portion of the intellectual seminars to the novel and resistance, in addition to presenting testimonies of a number of Palestinian novelists and resistance fighters.
The rest of the intellectual seminars and discussion sessions raise the issues of “plagiarism and scientific piracy”, “cultural content industry and digital transition”, “Tunisian thinkers and enlightenment”, “translation and acculturation”, “the book and strengthening cultural diplomacy”, “the book and multimedia”, “cultural media”, “reader industry”, and “investment in book professions”.
Kadri noted that the 39th Tunis International Book Fair has allocated eight prizes, six for intellectual and literary creativity and translation, and two for publishing, for which 126 nominations were submitted.
In the context of the exhibition’s tradition of giving children a prominent place in its various activities and programs, the current edition has dedicated 225 activities in the form of interactive workshops, sensitization meetings, and performances in music, theater, and physical expression.
“We wanted this session, as an international cultural forum, to be an echo of the transformations witnessed by our era, and an occasion to shed light on intellectual, cultural and scientific issues that concern thinkers in various sectors to further advance cultural work and contribute to building a better world,” Kadri stressed in his presentation of the session.
TunisianMonitorOnline (Dhouha Talik – English: NejiMed)
