Fair Photos

I went to check out the Casablanca book fair yesterday–the fee for getting in is an extremely reasonable 5 dirhams and there’s tons to see and do. Among the exhibitors were publishers from many Arab and European countries, but also Moroccan university presses, literary magazines, small and large publishers, and–oh, joy!–booksellers and bouquinistes. So one could browse through the rare or used books from, say, Rabat’s Bouquiniste du Chellah here in Casablanca. The most popular booths seemed to be those that catered to children’s literature and YA, which I suppose is a good thing. Maybe in a few years’ time the fair will be able to attract as many interested adults. I noticed a couple of English-language publishers, but they carried mostly classics that are used at colleges and universities. The French publishers and the Saudi government, on the other hand, had a massive presence. Unfortunately, the official program that is available online is not comprehensive. There’s a lot more to see at individual booths, and you pretty much have to go in situ to know what each exhibitor has planned.