Iraq News Now

The 46th edition of the Baghdad International Book Fair has drew a record of one million visitors this year, mostly younger generations, Abdel Wahab al-Radi, president of the Federation of Iraqi publishers, was quoted as saying.

In remarks, Radi described this year’s edition as the most important by far, considering the number of participants and the variety of displayed books.

Around 700 publishing houses and bookshops from 23 countries took part at the fair, which was held on an area of 10,000 square meters.

More than two million titles filled the shelves at the fair, encouraged by the security situation in Baghdad, following years of conflict and terrorism.

Radi considered the edition to be a great achievement for the country and for its organizers, saying it amounted to an international acknowledgment of Baghdad’s important cultural standing in the Arab world and throughout the ages.