Marking a symbolic yet significant beginning, Berlin recently hosted its first Arab Book Fair hosting several Germany-based Arab publishers and libraries who have succeeded in providing more than 500 recent publications to Arab readers in Germany.
The fair, held on the sidelines of the First Cultural Week that took place from 7-15 October, attracted a large number of visitors, mostly new immigrants in Germany who want to maintain their linguistic and cultural communication with Arabic, in addition to numerous locals interested in Arabic literature.
Apart from selling books, the fair featured an array of cultural and artistic events including story reading sessions, panel discussions, literary competitions, musical performances, and more. The event attracted larger audiences and encouraged German publishers to reserve their exhibition spaces for the next edition of the fair, which promises to be bigger than the first one.