Tunis International Book Fair: 25 countries… resistance around authors from Palestine and Italy as guest of honour

Tunis: 25 countries, 314 pavilions, including 154 Tunisian and 20 official pavilions, 8 prizes, almost 280 workshops for children and young people in 7 pavilions, more than 109,000 titles: these are some of the figures for the 38th edition of the Tunis International Book Fair (French: FILT), which will be held at the Kram Exhibition Centre from April 19 to 28, 2024. At a press conference held on Monday afternoon at the City of Culture in Tunis, president of the organising committee, academic Mohamed Salah Kadri, said this exceptional event was being organised in solidarity with Palestine in order to break the "intellectual blockade" in a struggle that he described as "a cultural existence". On the other hand, this landmark event, marked by the participation of Italy as Guest of Honour, will be an opportunity to strengthen dialogue in the publishing sector, creating direct synergies between authors and publishers from the two countries, which share a common history and a proximity that is not only geographic al, but extends to all areas of art and culture. In order to bring books in all formats and on all media closer to children and rekindle their creative spirit, the Tunis International Book Fair, in collaboration with several parties, including the Ministry of Communication Technologies and the Digital Economy and the TICDCE, has planned a rich programme of workshops with varied content (readings in various literary genres, music, drawing....), educational games and immersive experiences. On April 28, prizes will be awarded to the most interactive children. The 2024 edition will see the presence of a large number of renowned authors from several countries, including Bayrem Ettounsi's grandson, the Egyptian poet Mahmoud Bayrem Ettounsi, French writer and philosopher Alain Jugnon and Algerian writer, novelist, literary critic and academic Waciny Laredj, as well as Tunisian writers living abroad, including the poet Sami Amri. It will pay tribute to the memory of the great Tunisian poet Mohamed Ghozzi and Kuwa iti poet Abdulaziz Saud Babtine, in the presence of his son. Palestine at the heart of the debate: Several Palestinian authors will be present, including writer Adania Shibli, philosopher Ahmed Bargaoui, Palestinian writer living in Syria, Hassan Hamid Ben Ahmed, and writer Zied Khaddech. Palestine will also be at the heart of the cultural programme organised as part of the fair. The meeting-debate section will focus on narratives of genocide and resistance, with topics such as "Writing pain in Arab literature" and "The Palestinian, who is he? The lecture-debate section will include two lectures: La résistance et la question de l'engagement intellectuel, artistique et littéraire" and "La Palestine dans la littérature tunisienne" proposed by the Union of Tunisian Writers. Italy as guest of honour: a dozen Italian authors will be present, including the writer, podcaster and youtuber Roberto Mercadini, author of the famous book 'Le Génie et les ténèbres', the writer and translator Evelina Santangelo from Pale rmo, and the writer, journalist and thinker Marcello Veneziani. Five publishing houses and the works of twelve publishers are at the heart of a cultural programme under the banner of "The Mediterranean Soul", with an exchange of words, including different literary genres - novels, poetry and essays covering various fields: culture, art, history, .... - with a programme dedicated to children and young people (6-13 years) and an educational laboratory dedicated to the Italian language. The International Cultural Days: The fair's foreign guests will have their say in the "International Cultural Days" section, with authors from Lebanon, Senegal, Argentina, Yemen, Egypt, China, Mauritania, Kuwait and Spain. Six governorates at fair: in this annual rendezvous awaited by all book lovers in Tunis and beyond, six governorates are taking part, each with its own special features: Monastir, the pearl of the Mediterranean", "Ariana, the bosquet of a thousand and one flowers", "Gabes, oasis of art and creation", "Sfax, c ultural industry, roots and history", "Kairouan, echo of splendour and memory of creators" and "Le Kef, crossroads of civilisations". The Tunisian Book Forum: this section aims to present Tunisian research publications in various disciplines, including Samir Becha's "Encyclopédie de la musique tunisienne", Hichem Ben Ammar's "Image et imagination" and Mohamed Kilani's "Le Livre sportif". Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse