Dr Emad Abu Ghazi, Egypt's minister of culture and his Turkish counterpart will inaugurate the Egyptian wing at Turkey's International Book Fair in Istanbul. Egypt is the guest of honour at the fair which runs from 12 until 20 November. Dr Ahmed Megahed, head of the General Egyptian Book Organisation (GEBO) says the January 25 Revolution, which improved relations between the two countries, is one of the main reasons Turkey invited Egypt. Megahed also pointed out that Egypt is the first Arab country to be guest of honour at the fair. Megahed added that Egypt's participation won't be limited to the book fair; it will be a comprehensive cultural festival. A special cultural programme will be attended by several prominent figures in Egyptian culture. The novelist Gamal Al-Ghitani and Dr Kamal Ehsan Oglo, secretary-general of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, a Turkish man who lived in Egypt until he finished his college studies, will organise a seminar entitled ‘Cultural Links between Egypt and Turkey'. Dr Mohamed Afifi, head of the history department at Cairo University will talk about the history of Egyptian-Turkish relations. Dr Mohamed Howaidi will discuss the horizons of translation between Arabic and Turkish. The Nile Troupe for Folk Arts will perform under the leadership of Abdul-Rahman Al-Shafe'e. The programme includes the display of six Egyptian films with the cooperation of the National Centre for Cinema headed by Dr Khaled Abdul-Galil. The films, which were translated into Turkish and English, are Yacoubian by Marwan Hamed, Kit Kat by Dawood Abdel Sayed, Al-Ard by Youssef Chahine, Bedaya Wa Nehaya by Salah Abo Saif, Ehky Ya Shahrazad by Yousry Nasrallah and Rasa'el El-Bahr by Dawood Abdel Sayed. Ahmed Salah, the head of fairs committee at the GEBO says that the organisation will show more than 1500 of its new publications, plus the publications of the other publishing houses. He pointed out that the first copies of the photography book January 25 Revolution will be at the fair, and the first two parts of Tharwat Okasha's Renaissance. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/26221.aspx
