52nd Cairo International Book Fair: Exceptional edition for exceptional circumstances

CAIRO – 28 March 2021: Book enthusiasts in Egypt and the Arab world are anticipating the 52nd Cairo International Book Fair, which kicks off on June 30 and runs until July 15. The book fair was initially scheduled for January, but got postponed due to the global pandemic.

The Supreme Committee has previously announced that the 52nd edition of the book fair is one of the most exceptional editions to ever be held. All precautionary measures will be applied and large spaces will be provided between the fair’s pavilions as to avoid crowding.

Some usual activities will be definitely absent in the fair’s 52nd edition. The previous edition were normally expected to witness heavy crowding in fast food restaurants at the Cairo International Book Fair. The crowds were the result of the large turnout of visitors to the book fair.

It is known that book fairs all over the world are not without book signing parties. Also, the book fairs often witness queues of readers who organize long lines to obtain the writer's signature and take pictures, and perhaps the most prominent of these writers is Ahmad Yunus, author of “Nader Fouda” novel.

During the previous editions of the Cairo International Book Fair, the General Egyptian Book Organization organized artistic music booths. Those booths attracted dozens of visitors. Unfortunately, such booths may not be held in the fair’s upcoming edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moreover, it was always a common scene to witness high turnout of visitors in the various wings of the book fair, especially those of the General Egyptian Book Organization and the General Authority for Cultural Palaces, as the two entities provide low-cost books and attractive book titles that attract hundreds of visitors daily.

However, in the 52nd Cairo International Book Fair, the pavilions will be held far apart to prevent crowding. Only two or three individuals will be allowed to enter a pavilion at a time as a precautionary measures to battle COVID-19.