Cairo’s International Book Fair Returns for its 53rd Edition

The 53rd edition of Cairo’s International Book Fair will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly at Egypt’s International Exhibition Center (EIEC) on 26 January.

Under the title ‘Egypt’s Identity – Culture & the Question of the Future,’ the book fair will be held for 13 consecutive days until 7 February 2022. The 53rd edition is set to have an increase in the number of days in order to provide the public with the opportunity to delve into the exhibition and support the book and publishing industry in Egypt.

Egypt’s Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem held a press conference on Monday, January 17 detailing the specificities of the Book Fair. Nearly 1067 Egyptian, Arab, and foreign publishers from around 51 countries are participating in the 2022 book fair.

New technological advancements and artificial intelligence will play a role in this year’s book fair as late Egyptian writer and novelist Yehia Haqi, who was chosen as the main character of the book fair, will appear in a hologram as an interactive presentation with the audience.

Late writer Abdel Tawab Youssef was chosen as the main character for the Children’s Book Fair. The children’s hall-goers will get to watch one of Youssef’s stories through virtual reality glasses as well.

The 53rd edition of the Book Fair is granting an award for the Best Arab Publisher for the first time. The price increased to EGP 40,000 (USD 2545) from EGP 10,000 (USD 635) in each cultural field.

This year, a digitized online sale of books is being launched through the exhibition’s digital platform that was made available during the 52nd edition of the book fair. Delivery services all over Egypt will be made available in cooperation with the Ministry of Communications represented by the Egyptian Post.

According to the General Egyptian Book Organization (GEBO), the book fair is open to the public with an EGP 5 entry ticket. The opening hours of the fair are from 9:00 AM to 8: PM and on Fridays from 1:00 PM. Visitors who are not vaccinated will not be allowed to enter the fair.