Cairo International Book Fair Pushed to June and July, 2021

The 52nd Cairo International Book Fair will be postponed until June and July of 2021 in an attempt to prevent further spread of Covid-19, the fair’s central committee said after a meeting held Monday:

The fair usually kicks off in late January, and is one of the first major book fairs of the calendar year. In a typical year, there are hundreds of publishers and booksellers at the Cairo fair and an estimated two million visitors. In January of 2020, there were around 900 publishers and 40-some vendors for used books. According to organizers, the 2020 fair saw more than 2.5 million visitors.

The fair’s new dates are currently set for June 30 to July 15, the committee’s statement said.

The decision to postpone was made in part because it will be difficult for the Arab and foreign participants and publishers to travel in winter, the statement said. The year’s guest of honor, Greece, agreed to postpone the fair.

Two other major book fairs have also postponed to June: London Book Fair, usually held mid-March, and the Bologna Book Fair, traditionally held at the end of March and early April.

London Book Fair is currently set for June 29 to July 1, 2021, which would overlap the Cairo fair, while Bologna has been set for June 14 – 17, 2021.