‘I Am Kurdistani’: Erbil International Book Fair opens

ERBIL — The 18th Erbil International Book Fair has opened Wednesday at the exhibition grounds in Sami Abdulrahman Park, bringing together 400 publishing houses and institutions from 18 countries and offering more than one million titles in various languages.

The fair, which runs through Oct. 31, is expected to attract writers, publishers, intellectuals and visitors from across the Kurdistan Region, other parts of Iraq and neighboring countries.

This year’s edition is held under the slogan “I Am Kurdistani” and is organized by Al-Mada Foundation for Media, Culture and Arts in cooperation with the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Culture and Youth.

The program includes more than 90 cultural and artistic activities, including intellectual seminars, panel discussions, poetry readings, musical performances and book-signing events featuring newly published works.

Participating publishers will offer various discounts up to 50% on selected books in Kurdish, Arabic, English, French, German, Persian and Turkish.

Al-Mada Foundation said the slogan “I Am Kurdistani” was chosen to celebrate cultural and civilizational diversity and promote coexistence and dialogue.

The foundation also said the fair’s 18th edition reflects its role in supporting the publishing industry, expanding readership and providing opportunities for interaction among authors, publishers and the public.

Alongside book exhibitions, the fair will host daily panels, seminars and literary gatherings, as well as other cultural and artistic activities. The exhibition will remain open until the end of October.

The 17th Erbil International Book Fair took place from April 9 to 19, 2025 at Sami Abdulrahman Park. Last year’s theme was “The World Speaks Kurdish,” highlighting the growing trend of translating international literature into Kurdish and recent efforts to gain formal recognition for the language on global platforms such as Google.