27 January 2016
Under the Patronage of Egyptian Prime Minister, The 47th Cairo International Book Fair Kicked off
Bahrain allocates special interest in culture for its role in developing peoples' minds and souls and for being among the most important means to consolidate the Kingdom's reputation as a country with a long history of civilization and openness in all cultural and artistic fields. As part of this strategy, the Kingdom of Bahrain is taking part in the 2016 exhibition as a guest of honor. The 47th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair opened under the patronage of Egyptian Prime Minister Sharif Ismail and Minister of Culture Helmi Al-Namnam on 27 January 2016. Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities (BACA) President, Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, was present at the inaugural ceremony.
During their visit to the exhibition, the Egyptian Premier and the Minister of Culture toured Bahrain’s pavilion that showcased a collection of varied Bahraini creative publications and most attractive components. At the end of this tour, H.E Shaikha Mai offered a copy of a book on world heritage in Arab countries to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
Speaking on the occasion, H.E said, “The Kingdom of Bahrain hosted and welcomed the Arab Republic of Egypt at Bahrain International Book Fair two years ago, and hence, we are here today as a guest of honor. We convey messages of love and respect for the friendly and historical common cultural relations.” H.E Shaikha Mai invited her Egyptian counterparts to visit Bahrain and happily announced “Your Destination Bahrain” 2016, which is an invitation to share Bahrain’s wonders with every visitor. H.E expressed her happiness and appreciation for choosing Bahrain as a guest of honor during this 47th edition of Cairo International Book Fair saying, “We have a lot to share with you. Bahrain’s Authority for Culture & Antiquities has prepared a much diversified program. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to discover magical cultural events, evenings of poetry, lectures, and documentary films, all introducing and charming you to come and visit this land of ancient civilizations.”
The BACA president extended her thanks and appreciation to all the members of the organizing committee of the Cairo Book Fair, with special thanks to the Egyptian Minister of Culture, General Authority for Books and National Documents and all Bahrain’s Culture Authority staff who helped to achieve this successful event management.
Bahrain’s participation includes cultural and artistic activities as well as displaying of documentaries on Bahrain’s history. Bahrain is this year’s guest of honor and it will be the focus of a series of seminars, lectures, poetry readings and folk performances as well as documentary screenings.
Music concerts by Mohammad Bin Faris Music Band will highlight the historical and genuine Bahraini music, while evenings of poetry will feature Bahraini poet Hassan Kamal and poet Ibrahim Bu Hindi. The book fair attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a series of lectures presented by Bahrain journalist and writer, Sawsan Al-Shaer on “Bahrain: a Unique cultural Exceptional the Gulf”, while Dr. Abdullah al-Madani will speak about a “ Vivid Lecture Study on Fijiri Art” in relation to artist Jassim Al-Harban. Fine art icon, Balqees Fakhro will lecture on “Cultural Cooperation Between Egypt and Bahrain and the Effects of the Fine Arts Movement” which will shed light on mutual art movements and trends. Bahrain’s cultural program also involves documentary films showcasing Bahrain’s ancient history and civilizations including the movie “Sleeping Tree” directed by Mohammad Bu Ali. The participation of Bahraini writers and intellectuals will be a great addition to the fair.
It should be mentioned that the 47th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair opened Wednesday under the theme of “Culture in Confrontation” and is scheduled to conclude on February 10. The fair is usually a widely visited event and according to the Egyptian State Information Service, up to 850 publishers will participate, including 50 foreigners, 250 Arab and 550 Egyptian publishers. Gamal Al-Ghitani, a renowned Egyptian novelist and journalist, who passed away in October, last year, will be the fair's person of the year. He published over 50 books including novels and poetry, and is best known for his novel Rama wal Tinin (Rama and the Dragon) and his short story collection Hitan Aliya (High Walls). He was also one of the theorists of modern Arabic literature.
No less than 34 countries are expected to participate including Arab and African states such as Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Oman, Palestine, Jordan, Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Algeria, Iraq, Morocco, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar and Eritrea. In addition, Italy, Russia, Azerbaijan, India, Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Greece, China, Kazakhstan and Paraguay will be represented at the fair where around 50 cultural events for children and adults will be presented.
