Casablanca Used Book Fair Extended by a Week Amidst High Demand

The 14th edition of the National Used Book Fair in Casablanca has been extended by an extra week, responding to popular demand. The fair, held at the Argan Garden opposite "Al-Qar'a" on Mohammed VI Avenue, was originally scheduled to run until August 10 but will now continue longer.

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Usually every year there are demands from booksellers to extend the exhibition, for reasons related to the economic aspect primarily, so that sales increase, and there is also a real need from readers to extend the duration of the exhibition and not limit it to its legal time.

This extension comes after numerous requests from both booksellers and avid readers. Salem Al-Fa'ida, representing the fair's cultural coordination committee, stated that such requests are common annually, primarily driven by economic reasons to boost sales. He also noted a genuine need from readers for the fair to extend beyond its legal duration.

The cultural program, which concluded as scheduled, featured sixty activities over three weeks with 120 participants, including researchers, critics, artists, filmmakers, academics, and students. Discussions covered educational and literary topics, book signings, and tributes to prominent Moroccan literary figures like Mohamed Zafzaf and critic Idris Belmilih. The fair also included theatrical performances and poetry readings.

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This annual event is establishing itself, and the residents of Casablanca, its surroundings, and Morocco await it, achieving the slogan 'Culture That Unites Us,' by bringing together intellectuals from all generations and sensitivities.

Al-Fa'ida highlighted that this annual event solidifies its place as a cultural gathering eagerly anticipated by Casablanca's residents and the wider Moroccan public. It embodies the slogan "Culture That Unites Us," bringing together intellectuals of all generations and backgrounds. Notably, this year's fair operated without any financial support from cultural institutions, relying solely on the space provided by the Al-Fidaa commune in Casablanca. Despite this, the fair has drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors, underscoring its importance as a significant cultural hub.

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This event, which received hundreds of thousands of visitors in the past weeks, should receive all support and resources because it is an important cultural station, and one of the most important cultural stations in Casablanca in terms of size and attendance.