Beirut Arab International Book Fair returns for its 67th edition despite war and crisis
The Beirut Arab International Book Fair is being held for its 67th edition this year, from October 9 to 18, 2026. I read about it on Al Jazeera Net and wanted to summarize it for anyone who cares about books and publishing. The fair was first held in 1956.
This year 163 publishers are taking part, with around 100 seminars (the event's title says more than 90) featuring some 250 speakers on history, geography, politics, economics, literature, poetry, theater, artificial intelligence and university education.
What stands out to me is the context. The fair takes place after the destruction left in southern Lebanon by the Israeli war, an economic crisis that has lasted since the autumn of 2019, and the fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran. Salwa Al-Senioura Baassiri, head of the Arab Cultural Club that organizes the fair, said that holding it under these conditions is a challenge to the way things are, that culture is essential in times of crisis, and that the region needs communication rather than fighting.
Some seminars focus on the heritage that southern Lebanon has been losing, including archaeological and historic sites. Lebanon's culture minister Ghassan Salameh said that three of the five castles on UNESCO's list of endangered heritage sites have fallen under Israeli occupation, and the fourth has been damaged. The fair also has a section on bookmaking, from the history of printing, color separation and binding to typeface and cover design, and seven universities are showing book covers designed by their students.
The fair was not held in 2019, 2020 or 2021 for various reasons, including protests, the Beirut port explosion and renovation work, and it resumed in March 2022. To me, its continuation carries a simple message: even in the hardest times, the book remains a place where people can meet.
Source: Al Jazeera Net
This year 163 publishers are taking part, with around 100 seminars (the event's title says more than 90) featuring some 250 speakers on history, geography, politics, economics, literature, poetry, theater, artificial intelligence and university education.
What stands out to me is the context. The fair takes place after the destruction left in southern Lebanon by the Israeli war, an economic crisis that has lasted since the autumn of 2019, and the fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran. Salwa Al-Senioura Baassiri, head of the Arab Cultural Club that organizes the fair, said that holding it under these conditions is a challenge to the way things are, that culture is essential in times of crisis, and that the region needs communication rather than fighting.
Some seminars focus on the heritage that southern Lebanon has been losing, including archaeological and historic sites. Lebanon's culture minister Ghassan Salameh said that three of the five castles on UNESCO's list of endangered heritage sites have fallen under Israeli occupation, and the fourth has been damaged. The fair also has a section on bookmaking, from the history of printing, color separation and binding to typeface and cover design, and seven universities are showing book covers designed by their students.
The fair was not held in 2019, 2020 or 2021 for various reasons, including protests, the Beirut port explosion and renovation work, and it resumed in March 2022. To me, its continuation carries a simple message: even in the hardest times, the book remains a place where people can meet.
Source: Al Jazeera Net
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