The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Bookworms and literature lovers are in for a treat, as the date for 51^st edition of Cairo International Book Fair has been announced. From ticket prices and location to special awards and the guests of honour, here’s everything you need to know about the annual fair…

The book fair will run from the 22^nd of January until the 4^th of February this year. The official Facebook event of the book fair announced that it will be held for the second time at Egypt International Exhibition Center in New Cairo. Free buses from the old headquarters of the fair in Nasr City, as well as Abdelmoneim Reyad in Downtown Cairo, will transport visitors to the location.

The organisation announced that the new prices will be 5LE instead of 3LE. The featured country has been announced to be the Republic of Senegal, and the feature character is the late scientist and thinker, Gamal Hamdan.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, awards will be handed out in the following categories: First Book, Heritage Book, Best Translated Book, Best Translated Book for Children, and Best Publisher. Also, the Egyptian General Book Authority will give awards to Best Books of 2019 to novels, theatre, vernacular poetry, classical poetry, short story, literary criticism, humanities, arts, children, science, and digital science.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Culture, the volunteer program at the fair will be launched. Students and graduates can register for the program to receive experience in various fields. The program will feature field training for the volunteer, who will receive a certificate upon finishing their assigned tasks. The volunteers will organise activities, workshops, and cultural gatherings.

The work will be divided into the Media Documentation Committee, whose mission is to document all of the fair’s activities through photography, videography, editing, writing, along with press documentation. As for the Information Committee, its main tasks will be to provide visitors with information about publishing houses, books, and daily activities at the fair. The Reception Committee will be in charge of directing the public to each hall so that they can find what they’re looking for and enjoy the activities.

The Cairo International Book Fair was launched in 1969, when the Minister of Culture, Thrwat Okasha, assigned the writer Suhair Al Qalmawi to supervise the establishment of the first edition.

Stay tuned for updates on this year’s fair!