First Garowe International Book Fair kicks off in Garowe

The semi-autonomous regional state of Puntland has for the first times since its formation hosted first Garowe International Book Fair on Thursday where hundreds of scholars, authors, poets, Somali culture buffs, government officials, students, lecturers, attended the event.

The book fair event was held at the East Africa University (EAU) campus in Garowe.

The president of Puntland,  Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas has officially opened the book fair which will run for three days.

Over 572 books including  children’s storybooks, novels, journals, cultural, literature and academic books have been tabled. 

The Garowe International Book Fair was co-organized by Somali Institute for Development and Research Analysis (SIDRA) and SCANSOM Publishers based in Garowe town.

The book fair will feature panel sessions and speeches by more than 30 keynote speakers. Among the speakers lined up for the event are Prof Lidwien E Kapteijns, who is Somali culture researcher at Welesley College and the author of‘ “Clan Cleansing in Somalia: The Ruinous Turn of 1991” and Russian Somali linguist, Dr. G. Kapchits.

Somalia, once considered as a nation of poets has recently begun to re-assume its identity, with similar fairs being staged in Mogadishu and Hargeisa.