The SILA is an international meeting that offers opportunities to attend conferences led by great names of literature
By: D. Dahache
The 23rd edition of Algiers International Book Fair is due to take place from October 29, to
November 10, 2018, at Pins Maritimes Palace of Exhibitions, under the slogan “Book Together”. As usual, the fair will certainly attract a large number of passionate of books and culture in general, as The SILA is an international meeting that offers opportunities to attend conferences led by great names of literature , take part in writing workshops, and visit exhibitions planned over multiple sales stands. The visitor will discover the literary life in the world and the status of the book in the domestic scene. More than that, the (SILA) is the largest exhibition dedicated to literature in the Arab world that no one wishes to miss. In 2017, it reached a record attendance with more than 1,700,000 visitors in just a very short time. Algiers International Book Fair attracts a varied audience of all ages, who flock to The Pin Maritimes Palace of Exhibitions to discover new literary horizons from around the world.
The head of the Reading Committee at the Ministry of Culture, Djamel Foughali, declared alongside a press conference that more than 260,000 books titles have been approved for exhibition.
However, some books have been banned from participation, justifying that Algeria’s laws forbid any book that undermines state symbols and glorifies violence, terrorism and racism, he added.
For his part, Hamidou Massoudi, Commissioner of the Fair, said that no less than 970 publishers from 47 countries, including 271 Algerian publishing houses, are expected to take part in the exhibition. Great writers such as Amine Zaoui, Merzak Begtache, Rachid Boudjedra, Wassini Laaredj and other foreign writers from Arab countries will also be invited. The commissioner of the Fair pointed out that the guest of honor at this 23rd International Book Fair of Algiers is China.
More than 2,500 titles in Mandarin and no less than 7,500 works translated into Arabic and French, whose themes are related to ancient Chinese culture, literature and children’s books will be displayed. Six Chinese authors including “Mo Yan”, Nobel laureate, will participate in this event and several meetings will be organized with these authors.
