ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Under the theme “Kirkuk Reads and Advances,” Kirkuk has announced its first-ever international book fair with the participation of Kurdish and global publishers.
“The fair will bring together a distinguished group of Arab and local publishing houses in the largest cultural, scientific, literary, and journalistic festival and forum,” said a Sunday statement from the Kirkuk governor’s office.
Wasif Hamdi Shweikhy, head of the fair’s organizing committee, told Rudaw on Wednesday that approximately 70 publishing houses will participate in the fair - 12 of which are Kurdish, while the others will come from Iraq and regional countries including Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Syria.
The fair, located in the city’s White Palace Hall, will run from September 25 to October 2. It is organized by local authorities in the province and supervised by Iraq’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities.
European publishing houses were also invited but were unable to participate due to logistical reasons, according to Shweikhy.
Sabah Habib, a Kurdish lawmaker in the Iraqi parliament representing Kirkuk, told Rudaw English that certain factors are behind successive administrations' failure to hold an international book fair in the province.