The Video News Agency covered the atmosphere of the second day of the Baghdad International Book Fair, where the exhibition halls witnessed a remarkable attendance from visitors and a variety of titles and publications, alongside extensive participation from Iraqi, Arab, and foreign publishing houses, in a cultural scene that reflects the growing interest in books and reading in Iraq.
The agency’s lens roamed among the booths of participating publishing houses, meeting several of their representatives to get a sense of the most prominent displays and their impressions about participating in the current edition, amidst an influx of Iraqi readers interested in various types of books, especially literary, intellectual, historical, religious, and novels.
The representative of Ibdai Publications from Egypt, Mahmoud Abdel Nabi, stated in a statement to the Video News Agency that this is not the first participation for the publishing house in the Baghdad International Book Fair, noting that this is its seventh participation in the fair, which he described as one of the prestigious and well-organized fairs at a high level.
Abdel Nabi added that the management of the fair strives in every edition to provide activities and arrangements that contribute to attracting the public, pointing out that the interest from Iraqi readers began on the first day of the opening, expressing his hope that public attendance will continue in the coming days to explore the new publications offered by the house.
He explained that the house’s booth includes a diverse collection of literary and intellectual publications, in addition to novels, short stories, self-development books, and autobiographies, as well as publications from several Egyptian and Arab authors and writers.
For his part, the representative of the Arab Book House from Lebanon, Hussein Moussa, mentioned in an interview with the Video News Agency that the house continuously strives to participate in the Baghdad International Book Fair, based on the importance of Iraq and its cultural status, as well as the deep ties that bind the Iraqi and Lebanese peoples.
Moussa noted that the Iraqi reader is distinguished by a significant interest in books and reading, pointing out that the house's booth contains a wide array of religious, historical, political, poetic, and novel titles, in addition to books on interpretation and hadith, among other publications that meet the interests of various reader segments.
Moussa also addressed the stance on regional issues, indicating that the Lebanese people, particularly those from southern Lebanon, are committed to their land and reject occupation, expressing his insistence on the choice of resistance and reclaiming the land, no matter the challenges and sacrifices involved.
The Baghdad International Book Fair continues to welcome visitors during its days, amidst a significant diversity in publishing houses and publications, making the fair a space for readers to meet with books, authors, and publishers, and a platform to enhance cultural movement and exchange of Arab literary and intellectual output.