The Iraq International Book Fair opened in Baghdad on Wednesday, December 9, with about one million titles available for visitors to peruse. Organisers have noted that more than 300 publishing houses from 21 countries from the Arab world and beyond are participating in the event, with books spanning various subjects. A number of publishing houses are also displaying rare titles and antique reads. Held at the Baghdad International Exhibition fairgrounds in the Al Mansour district, the fair will host eight activities per day for the duration of its run until Saturday, December 19, including film screenings, folk dancing, singing and poetry performances, as well as book-signing ceremonies for newly published titles. Seminars on cultural, political and economic topics will be held in the central hall. Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi inaugurated the event on Wednesday, which was organised by Al Mada Foundation for Media, Culture and Art. At the official opening, Al-Khadimi stated: "Iraq is the cradle of civilisation and the first word, and the establishment of the Iraq [International] Book Fair is evidence of the country's continuation of cultural creativity". He also highlighted the importance of reading and described the book fair as a "distinguished achievement that we want to continue." Last year, the Iraq International Book Fair welcomed one million visitors and presented two million books. With more than half a million cases of the coronavirus in Iraq, exhibition management has attempted to address concerns with safety measures, including sterilisation gates, signs for social distancing and the requirement to wear masks indoors.
