Sadr City book festival gives away 12,000 books

BAGHDAD — A book festival in Sadr City ended on Friday with more than 12,000 books given away free, in its third year at Muzaffar Square.

Independent young volunteers organised it with the Baghdad National Gathering, said Furat Ali of the organising committee. “What we witnessed today was a large carnival befitting Sadr City and the capital, Baghdad,” he said, with residents and visitors from other governorates still touring it late in the day. The festival included seminars and ceremonies honouring writers and academics.

Environment Minister Srwa Abdulwahid attended after an invitation from the organisers. “This is my first visit to Muzaffar Square, although I have visited Sadr City before,” she told 964media. “We listened to the young people’s demands regarding air pollution, and we are following the issue very closely. There are strict legal penalties that we will impose on entities causing pollution, particularly from waste burning and brick factories.”

Malak Hazim, visiting Sadr City for the first time, said the programme had been chosen to suit the area and that she hoped it would continue. Imad al-Shara, who goes to book festivals around Iraq, said: “I hope we see a cultural festival in every neighborhood and alley, just as we used to see magazines and small books published by school students.”