Annual ‘I Am Iraqi, I Read’ festival distributes record 45,000 free books

BAGHDAD — The 11th annual “I Am Iraqi, I Read” festival attracted large crowds to Abu Nuwas Park, cementing its status as one of Iraq’s most significant reading festivals. This year, organizers distributed a record 45,000 free books, donated by local publishers and individuals, surpassing last year’s total by 5,000.

The festival, launched in 2012 as a civil movement symbolizing social change, featured book signings by prominent authors such as Aqeel Mahdi, Khayal Al-Jawahiri, Zaeem Nassar, Mohammed Ghazi Al-Akhras, and Faris Harram.

“This year, we reached a record with 45,000 books distributed,” said Harith Rasmi, a festival organizer, in remarks to 964media. “The donations came from various sources, including bookstores and publishing houses supporting the event.”

Zaeem Nassar, a member of the book signing committee, noted the festival’s continuous growth. “The event grows annually with an increasing number of participating publishers. Books available range from poetry and politics to philosophy,” he said.

Attendees traveled from across Iraq to join the celebration. Mohammed Montaser, who traveled from Basra and has attended the festival for four consecutive years, described its appeal. “It’s a beautiful gathering of art, poetry, music, and books. Today, I picked up a book on 19th-century European history,” he said.

The success of “I Am Iraqi, I Read” coincides with other literary events in Baghdad, including the recent fourth Al-Husseiniya Reads Festival. That event distributed 2,500 books and featured artistic, literary, and musical performances.

Writer Mohammed Ghazi praised the growing enthusiasm for such events. “We hope these initiatives will expand and be repeated semi-annually or quarterly in the future,” he said.