The 34th edition of the Doha International Book Fair will kick off Thursday at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre under the theme "from engraving to writing." The event will run until May 17.
This year's fair is set to be the largest in its history in terms of the wide participation of publishers from both within Qatar and abroad.
A total of 522 publishing houses from 43 countries will take part, with Palestine as the guest of honour.
This marks the first time that 11 Palestinian publishers will participate, along with the participation of Syria's Al Halbouni Street Libraries, which will showcase a collection of valuable books.
Additionally, publishing houses from the US and the United Kingdom will take part for the first time.
The fair's catalogue includes approximately 166,000 titles, and it will see broader involvement from various ministries, government and private institutions, as well as accredited diplomatic missions to the state.
At the Ministry of Culture's pavilion, new publications will be launched, and a modern digital printer will be available to print ministry books on-site for visitors. The pavilion will also feature a wide selection of works by authors, along with the ministry's own publications.
During the fair, the ministry will announce the winners of the Doha International Book Fair's awards for publishers and authors.
The categories include: Outstanding Publisher (local and international), Outstanding Publisher in Children's Books (local and international), the Creativity Award for authors, and the Young Qatari Writer Award.
The goal of the award is to support the publishing industry and encourage continued participation from publishers, creators, authors, and intellectuals.
The fair will also witness the launch of the first edition of the Literary Exchange Program, an ambitious initiative aimed at enhancing literary collaboration, exchanging publishing rights, and supporting translation efforts between Qatar and the global literary community.
The Ministry of Culture has prepared a rich array of cultural and artistic events, featuring prominent intellectuals from the Arab world. These events will cover a variety of topics relevant to the community and visitors.
The main stage will host a diverse programme of seminars, lectures, and poetry evenings, along with theatrical performances and workshops in various cultural and literary fields.
The accompanying programme will also include workshops on social and professional topics, along with a range of activities, performances, and workshops dedicated to children.
The fair places significant emphasis on children and young adults, offering a large space for leading children's book publishers and organizing a variety of interactive events to showcase their talents and encourage reading. Additionally, a theatre will host theatrical performances and cultural programmes tailored to this age group, along with publishers focused on children's literature.
The fair will offer visitors a range of public services, including a reading guide service, an "Ask Me" service, a "porter" service, and free parking for attendees. The fair also offers valuable opportunities for direct interaction with authors, publishers, intellectuals, writers, and poets from both Qatar and abroad, enriching the visitors' experience.
The exhibition will open its doors to visitors from 9am to 10pm daily, with Friday hours from 3pm to 10pm.
The Doha International Book Fair is one of the oldest and largest book fairs in the region, renowned for the significant turnout from Gulf and Arab countries, as well as other nations worldwide.
The first edition of the fair was launched in 1972 under the auspices of the Qatari National Library. The event was held biennially until 2002, after which it became an annual event.
The fair gained international recognition after successfully attracting some of the world's most prominent publishing houses.
In its inaugural year, 20 publishing houses participated, and the 33rd edition saw a record-breaking international participation, with more than 515 publishing houses from 42 countries, in addition to contributions from embassies of friendly and brotherly countries in the event, which was held across an expansive 29,000 square meters.
Since 2010, the Doha International Book Fair has chosen one country each year as the guest of honour. Previous guest countries have included the US, Turkiye, Iran, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, France, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
