Paris: The Second International Forum for the Arabic Book in France kicked off Saturday, hosted by the House of Egypt at the International University Campus in Paris. The event will continue until Oct. 25 and features a distinguished panel of Arab, French, and European writers, intellectuals, and publishers.
According to Qatar News Agency, the Chairman of the International Forum for the Arabic Book, writer Ali Al Marabi, stated that the forum aims to consolidate the presence of Arabic culture, literature, and language in the French cultural scene. This initiative constitutes an important platform for civilizational dialogue, cultural exchange, and shared cultural collaboration between the Arab-Islamic and French-European cultures.
The second forum has already witnessed strong momentum and remarkable participation from over 50 Arab publishing houses from both the Arab region and the diaspora, showcasing roughly 700 books and titles. These range from literature and poetry to critical thought and media, as highlighted by Al Marabi.
Additionally, the event succeeded in attracting more than 40 Arab, French, and European writers, thinkers, and researchers. They engaged in in-depth intellectual symposia and discussions, as well as poetry evenings and book signings, further enriching the forum's agenda.
The sessions of this forum deliberate on consequential literary and cultural issues through a broad range of symposiums. Topics addressed include the Arabic novel, restricted freedom in narration, the war in Sudan, and media practitioners bearing witness to the war on Gaza that killed the novel.