“The Cultural Fields” toured the Beirut Book Fair, so how was it after 3 years of absence and economic collapse?
“I am reading in Beirut time” is a slogan raised by the organizers of the “Beirut Arab Book Fair” in its 64th session. A slogan that leads us to ask a number of questions, including: Are we able to read as we used to read previously, after social media dominated? Does the Lebanese still have the financial ability to buy books? As for the biggest question, it is: Is Beirut, its timing and timings the same as it was years ago?
These questions may be added to other questions that the reader asks himself before entering into the details of the exhibition (from 3 to 11 December this year), which was called for by the “Arab Cultural Club” and the “Syndicate of the Publishers Union in Lebanon.”
However, it seems that today the organizers and visitors have no choice but to persevere and be patient. This was stressed by the words of the organizers in the new session, which was dedicated to the spirit of the former president of the “Arab Cultural Club” Samih Al-Baba.
Perhaps the reference of the Syndicate of Publishers in Lebanon, Samira Asi, was more realistic and in identification with the reality of the situation when she said that “the condition of the book today is like that of the nation in anxiety and turmoil,” stressing that “the book is the indispensable jewel of the mind” in light of the electronic invasion.
The new edition of the exhibition comes after the rupture of Beirut following the port explosion, and before that the “Corona” pandemic and the economic collapse that exhausted the Lebanese and state administrations alike.
It was remarkable this year the absence of the Ministries of Culture and Information and the Lebanese University due to the lack of financial ability to participate. While the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth in the Sultanate of Oman was keen to participate, in addition to the presence of the Sharjah Book Authority, the Emirates Publishers Association and others.
The exhibition is witnessing the participation of some cultural forums and libraries, as well as publishing houses, which number more than 133 participating houses (according to a statement by the Arab Cultural Club). At a time when many Lebanese, Arab and foreign publishing houses were absent due to the small space allocated to publishing houses.
While the area, before the port explosion, was about 10,000 square meters, this year it has shrunk to about 2,220 square meters.
Economic crises and the price of the book
exploredcultural fieldsA wide fan of Lebanese intellectuals from all walks of life started from outside the exhibition with the publisher of Dar Fawsil, who is not participating in the exhibition. He says: “Printing a book now costs two and a half dollars, or the equivalent of 100,000 Lebanese pounds, which means it must be sold for 200.” thousand to recover its cost, so who buys a book whose price exceeds 200 thousand Lebanese pounds? In addition to the fifty percent required by the house during the signing of the book in the exhibition.
As for Madonna Nassar, a doctoral student in law at the Lebanese University, she says: “I don’t bother going to the fair. I’m afraid of being embarrassed by friends due to my financial inability to buy the book, in addition to the wide range of printed books that are below the level of my reading.”
Arabic language teacher Jihan Bejjani states, “The Lebanese’s purchasing priorities have changed. Personally, as a breadwinner for a family, I strive to meet the basic needs of my children.”
On a tour of social media, we see many who express their opinion openly. The Lebanese novelist and journalist George Yarak says on his page: “This year the book fair in Beirut must be canceled because I, like others, cannot access it, even if it is through the service, due to the exorbitant cost.” . Writer Mary Al-Qusaifi replied that she hesitated to publish because of the high price of the book.
has toured”cultural fields“On the first day of the exhibition for publishing houses, the mass crowd, especially women, was noticeable when signing books for one of the influencers on social networking sites, and people rushed to buy the book (at a price exceeding 250,000 pounds per book). While the other houses witnessed a movement Shy, mostly bystanders.
However, on the second day, which was a holiday (i.e. Sunday), the turnout was high, and there the “cultural squares” met some cultural figures, so we first asked the writer and lawyer Alexander Najjar his opinion on the exhibition and the prices of books, to answer us: “I was positively surprised by the” al-Agga “. In the fair, the Arab book needs this opportunity, especially since the prices of Arabic books, if we compare them with French books in foreign exhibitions that I often visit, are very acceptable.”
This opinion coincides with the point of view of the poet Mahdi Mansour, who lives mainly abroad, to say: “The books in the Beirut exhibition are cheaper when measured in foreign currencies.”
But what about the point of view of those who live in Lebanon? The novelist Ziad Kaj tells us: “Better to rain a little than not to rain at all, because Beirut lives in a state of drought, and the exhibition is the cultural space, where we meet friends who are similar to us and share our interests. This book fair is like a vitamin needle for Beirut.”
The owner of the “Nelson Publishing House” participating in the exhibition, the writer Suleiman Bakhti, has an explicit opinion, which he expressed by saying: “The book is the property of the city and the property of society. In the past, the Beirut exhibition was the dean of exhibitions, but today it is in dire need of a modernist shake-up in the organization, provided that there is the personality of the exhibition For example, in addition to awards given to writers or publishing houses, it is nice to meet people on books far from sectarian polemics, and every book published today is an important step in the way of growth.”
We ask Mr. Bakhti if there is a decline in the work of the Lebanese publishing houses, and he answers: “The market is supply and demand, and there is no doubt that there is a significant decline in purchasing in the local market.
Activities and seminars
On the other hand, the exhibition program includes about 24 seminars over a period of 8 days, starting with a seminar on the Lebanese heritage and its role in strengthening national immunity, to discussing the book “The Humanization of the Nation” .. Then there are many seminars over the following days, such as the celebration of the centenary of Farah Antoun, and honors for departed writers About this life, such as Jabbour Al Douaihy, Wajih Fanous and Samah Idris.. In addition to discussions of historical, political, philosophical, economic and poetic books, including those related to children’s literature or the lives of some poets, to the celebration of the International Day of the Arabic Language.. with reference to bulk signatures in Most of the suites are for well-known writers and poets or for others who are obscure.
The current session includes the participation of French publishing houses and libraries, in addition to the participation of Iraqi, Emirati and Palestinian publishing houses. Outsiders come especially to sign their new books.
In conclusion, with every book fair, we remember the common saying: “Cairo writes, Beirut prints, and Baghdad reads.” Is the Lebanese capital still able to bear the burdens and costs of publishing? Especially since the work of the Lebanese publishing houses declined by a large percentage, after the decline in the ability of the middle class, if not its absence, to buy luxuries, in addition to the high prices of books in the Lebanese currency .. with the consequent impact and impact of the book fair in Beirut on the Lebanese citizen, especially the Arab. In general, although it constitutes a cultural space in this dark time.