A book fair in Syria’s Idlib province has opened to visitors with the participation of more than 100 local and international publishers and libraries. The event, which began Saturday, will host book sales as well as social and cultural activities through September 19.
More than 100,000 books are being offered to readers at the fair. The program includes conferences attended by academics and researchers, panels, poetry readings, and special educational activities for children.
The program includes more than 500 events
Idlib Provincial Director of Culture Khalid Yusuf said more than 500 events had been organized, including conferences, panel discussions, poetry evenings, and various cultural activities.
Yusuf said the fairgrounds include public and government libraries, as well as sections dedicated to cultural heritage, children, and the plastic arts. Visitors are taking part in activities featuring a range of content in these areas.
Idlib’s first fair since the regime fell
Yusuf said the event was the first book fair held in Idlib since the fall of the Assad regime and that it had brought together visitors from different segments of society in large numbers.
Ali Alloush, who visited the fair, said they had the opportunity to examine artists’ drawings and paintings as well as browse different books. Alloush said the conferences attended by academics and doctors were organized for students and visitors, while the cultural events had also attracted considerable interest.
Alloush said more than 100 local and international publishers had come together at the same event for the first time in Idlib. He said visitors toured sections displaying handicrafts, cultural heritage, and artworks in addition to the book stands, adding that poetry readings and conferences had enhanced the fair’s cultural diversity.
