The kick-off of the 28th edition of the International Publishing and Book Fair (SIEL-2023) was given on Thursday in Rabat by the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid , in the presence of a host of eminent personalities from the political, diplomatic and cultural world.
Placed under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI, this edition, which will continue until June 11, is attended by more than 700 exhibitors, including 287 direct exhibitors and 450 indirect exhibitors, representing 51 countries, with Quebec as a special guest. .
This Book Fair represents for all citizens an unmissable event celebrating writers, books and literature, Bensaid said in a statement to the press.
This international event is known for each edition with enthusiasm from visitors and participants, he noted, noting that “the figures we record each year show that there is a thirst for reading, culture and books, which encourages us to improve our cultural programming every year”.
And to emphasize that the choice of Quebec as a special guest is part of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Canada.
For her part, the general manager of the national association of book publishers (ANEL) in Quebec, Karine Vachon, welcomed the choice of Quebec as a special guest of this new edition of SIEL, noting that “this cultural event represents an incredible opportunity to create links and bridges between the public and professionals from Morocco and Quebec”.
“We hope to be present at the next editions of this Salon in order to be able to continue this reflection on relations between Quebec and Morocco but also to highlight the diversity of Quebec culture internationally,” she said. .
Organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication in partnership with the Wilaya of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region and the Council of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, this edition is marked by the participation of 661 Moroccan and foreign writers, intellectuals and poets, who will light up the sky of this renowned international fair with their intellectual contributions.
The choice of Quebec as a special guest also offers an excellent opportunity to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Canada, which are enjoying remarkable momentum at all levels. It is also a question for the visitors of the Salon to dive into the cultural universe specific to Quebec and to discover its creators and its writers.
On the other hand, African literature, which was the guest of honor at the SIEL 2022 edition as part of the celebration of “Rabat, African Capital of Culture”, will still be present in force during this 28th edition of the fair, in particular with the presence of the Nigerian writer, Wole Soyinka, the first African winner of the Nobel Prize (1986).
On the menu for this edition are several cultural events, in addition to the establishment of a space specially dedicated to children, offering a wide range of workshops and scientific and cultural activities intended to strengthen the relationship of children with the learning and books.