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Cairo Int'l Book Fair 2014: A storm in a tea cup The 45th round of the Cairo International Book Fair proceeded smoothly, proving that security concerns preceding the event were unfounded
Following two quiet weeks of irregular visitor turnout, the 45th Cairo International Book Fair closed its doors on Thursday, proving that security concerns surrounding the event had been exaggerated. Although decreased sales proved frustrating for many publishers, especially from the Arab world, their trading with Egyptian bookstores and publishers offered some compensation. Under the theme of Culture and Identity, 755 publishers from 24 countries participated in the fair which lasted from 22 January to 6 February, two days longer than originally planned. Alternating turnout The fair started with a huge push, as thousands of Egyptians lined up in queues by the gates, purchasing over 88,000 tickets in two days while double this number of visitors entered with free invitations. With the third anniversary of the 25 January revolution two days later, however, the fair grounds were deserted. Book halls stood vacant and most cultural and artistic events scheduled for the weekend of 24-25 January were cancelled as the anniversary commemoration was preceded by a huge bomb explosion targeting the Cairo security headquarters. Gradually, visitors returned to the fair in such increasing numbers that turnout surpassed available tickets in the final days, forcing the fair to open its gates to the public for free. Politics without fire Historically, the fair became a political playground for both the regime and the opposition since its relocation to the current grounds. The regime tried to use it as a display case for its political and intellectual elites – including ousted president Hosni Mubarak's advisors like the late Osama El-Baz and thinker Mostafa El-Fiki – who would publicise their policies. The opposition used the fair to stage demonstrations against the regime and voice its opposition to its policies through various forums. Yet, the debates, demonstrations and fiery political disputes once held at the book fair now pale in comparison with the political tensions and turmoil raging on the streets. This once useful political environment, which provided a strong and wide influence on the public, has been made redundant in the context of the nation's consecutive political uprisings of the past three years. Despite the fact that a number of bright political stars from the current government – such as interim President Adly Mansour's political aide Mostafa Hegazy and his media aide Ahmed El-Meslemany – were hosted in the fair, they did not attract much attention. Shaaban Youssef, one of the fair's cultural programme coordinators, admitted to Ahram Online that the debates and events had lost most of their heat, attributing this phenomenon to the already heated political situation beyond the fair grounds. Most of the artists, writers and intellectuals invited to participate in scheduled events at the fair were supporters of the military, the 30 June uprising and the political coalition that led it. The fair organisers asserted that they had selected of guests who could represent ongoing debates on the political stage. And although the cultural programme included a few highly respected names like Bahaa Taher and Gamal El-Ghitany, some of the guests, such as Hossam Kheirallah from the military intelligence, had no relation at all to the cultural scene. Finally, cinema and TV stars like Ahmed Bedeir and Athar El-Hakim were only invited to promote specific political views. Kuwaiti money This year's guest of honour, Kuwait, participated with a gesture of generosity which appealed to some and angered others. The General Egyptian Book Organisation (GEBO) established a new tradition whereby prizes are granted to the best books published the previous year in 10 different fields, including fiction, science and politics. This year, Kuwait announced it would grant equivalent prizes in each field, raising the total number of prizes to 20. This measure was followed by their granting two special prizes to the famous Kuwaiti books series Alam Al-Marifah and Kuwaiti writer Talib Al-Rifai. Brotherhood rumours The opening of the fair was preceded by security concerns. The fair grounds are not far from Rabaa Al-Adawiya, site of a protest camp held by supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi that was violently dispersed in August. It is also a stone's throw from Al-Azhar University, where clashes between pro-Morsi students and security forces have been ongoing since the beginning of the academic year. Although the fair proceeded smoothly, Youssef said some Muslim Brotherhood members spread a number of rumours. One time the false news warned of a bomb on the fair grounds, other times it targeted the cancelation of events. Ahmed Megahed, director of the GEBO, twice made statements confirming that the fair would not close its doors and denying the presence of any bombs. Low turnout but still a good deal Most publishers expressed their frustration at the overall low turnout compared to the two previous rounds of the book fair. For many Arab and Egyptian publishers, the fair is essential for business, with some making as much as 50 percent of their annual sales during the fair, in trading with Egyptian bookstores and other publishers. According to non-official statistics, sales to individuals amount to about 15 percent of the fair's total sales. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/93851.aspx
