The Arab Spring takes centre stage at the 43rd Cairo International Book Fair, reports Nevine El-Aref The 43rd Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF) officially opens its gates on 22 January, a year later than originally planned. It will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri. Last year CIBF was cancelled the day before its official inauguration as the uprising against the then regime began. CIBF, appropriately titled "A Year since the Egyptian Revolution", will continue till 7 February, with a two-day pause between 25 and 26 January to mark the eponymous event. It will be as gargantuan an event as ever, with 17 Arab and 12 foreign countries participating. Of the 745 publishers taking part 498 are Egyptian, 215 from other Arab countries and 32 from elsewhere. Tunisia is this year's guest of honour. Alongside 35 Tunisian publishers displaying 250 titles, the fair will include seminars, musical performances, poetry recitals and prose readings dedicated to the North African state. Mahmoud El-Khamiri, Tunisia's ambassador to Egypt, says Tunisia has prepared an ambitious and diverse cultural programme to represent the country following its own revolution. Tunisia's minister of culture will lead the official delegation which includes 38 creators, authors and poets. Head of the Tunisian Publishers' Union Noury Obeidy will also be present to sign a protocol of collaboration between Egyptian and Tunisian publishers. "The two-day pause in the fair will not curtail any activities," Ahmed Megahed, head of the General Egyptian Book Organisation (GEBO), told reporters, since this year's festival covers 15 days rather than the usual 10. Seminars and evenings of poetry are being held on the fringe of this year's cultural programme which features cultural cafés, round table discussions and literary encounters. A new poetry and novel competition has been established, and in addition to the publishers' stands 93 kiosks have been allocated for second hand book dealers. The fair will also encompass an exhibition of paintings and photographs portraying the revolution, a children's pavilion and a dedicated space for films and plays. The latter will showcase footage of the revolution, much of it shot on mobile phones. "Awards for the best book published in 2011 is another innovation of this year's fair," said Megahed. The LE10,000 prizes, for long and short novels, colloquial and classic poetry, science, politics, economics, anthropology and sociology texts and children books, will be presented by Minister of Culture Shaker Abdel-Hamid. Rather than being held at the Cairo International Conference Centre (CICC) this year's fair returns to its original home, the Nasr City Fair Grounds (NCFG). "Returning CIBF to its original location at the NCFG was a real challenge," says CIBF Director Ahmed Salah, "especially given time and budgetary constraints." Egyptian Publishers' Union head Mohamed Rashad has called on all members to join hands to ensure CIBF succeeds. He also called on the government to waive the NCFG's usual rental fees, arguing that GEBO could then pass on the savings to publishers, many of whom are struggling because of the general economic downturn, in the form of reduced hiring charges for stands. "The 43rd CIBF is the first international cultural event to be held in Egypt since the outbreak of the Egypt revolution," Megahed told reporters. "I am delighted that it will be opening on schedule." The event, he continued, presents an ideal opportunity to show the world that Egypt is a safe place to visit. Asked about the representation of radical Islamic movements at the fair, Megahed gave the reply that all intellectual movements would be equally represented. Had CIBF been cancelled again this year its inclusion on the international calendar of publishing fairs would have been threatened.
