Casablanca international book fair calls for increased inter-cultural dialogue

17/02/2009

The 15th International Book Fair under way in Casablanca highlights the importance of intercultural exchange between civilisations. Senegal is this year's guest of honour.

By Hassan Benmehdi for Magharebia in Casablanca – 17/02/09

[Hassan Benmehdi] Book lovers browse the International Book Fair in Casablanca.

The International Book and Publishing Fair (SIEL) began Friday (February 13th) in Casablanca, under the theme "In the kingdom of books". This year marks the fifteenth anniversary of the event, which has become a fixture for authors and intellectuals from many fields to come together to celebrate culture with book-lovers from all over the world.

Culture Minister Touriya Jabrane told Magharebia that this gathering for the world of books and publishing, which serves as a bridge between the world's cultures, is "unmissable" for professionals and readers alike.

The artistic programme this year, she said, is aimed at making books more accessible to the general public. "This year's event is marked by a number of lectures, seminars and poetry readings, as well as discussion forums with 298 intellectuals and writers, 199 of whom are Moroccan, with 99 from other Arab countries and beyond," said the minister.

Senegal is the guest of honour at the 15th SIEL. According to the organisers, there will be special sessions to share and discuss Senegalese and Sub-Saharan literature and culture and to highlight today's urgent cultural issues.

Participants in a debate on Sunday agreed that effective dialogue between cultures requires the pursuit of healthy relations and interaction between everyday citizens. Alvaro de Vasconcelos, director of the European Union Institute for Security Studies, said, "While it is important to continue to meet the Other, it is equally necessary to reaffirm relations between citizens based on their identity alone."

Meanwhile, Senen Florensa, former Spanish Ambassador to Tunisia, said that "the North and the South have an obligation to work together for better cultural understanding between their peoples".

To achieve this, he said, it is imperative to work on both sides with a view to making the most of "the strengths of the hand the world has been dealt", working towards a Mediterranean Union and favourable relations with US under President Barack Obama.

The same conviction could be heard in the words of Mohamed Benaïssa, former Moroccan foreign minister, and Jacques Lang, former French culture minister, who stressed the importance of dialogue and respect for other cultures in promoting universal human values.

Casablancan book-lovers of all ages flocked to the fair on Sunday, with a rush of over 10,000 visitors.

Karima Aâtef, a teacher, devoted her weekend to the fair. "I've come here with my husband and my two children to take a look at all the new literary works, particularly French novels," she told Magharebia. She sets aside about 800 dirhams for the fair each year, to indulge her love for reading.

The 15th SIEL runs through February 22nd at the Grand Palais at the Foire de Casablanca. Visitors can browse offerings from 500 exhibitors spread out over more than 23,000 square metres. Forty-one Arab, African, European, American, and Asian countries are participating in the event.