By M.A. Egge
The Hargeisa International Book Fair, which held its 17th exhibition this year, has just concluded at the Hargeisa Cultural Center after running for about a week.
The exposition had the center reel with the multitude of people who thronged it to attend the event in their thousands.
The 17th exhibition, which this year has had its theme as ‘”Togetherness”, with this year’s hosting partner country being Tunisia, saw various presentations of wonderful scientific debates on culture, literature, books including availing of new ones and exchanges of a large ken of knowledge and related intellectual development, and of course assorted concerts .
The event was moreover blessed with the witnessing of attendances of foreign delegates from 16 countries around the world that included writers, academics, researchers, poets, inventors and play-writes and, of course thousands of people thronging the center throughout who were from all cadres of the society.
The director of the Hargeisa Cultural Center, Issa Musa Adan, wrapped up the activities of the weeklong event of the Hargeisa International Book Fair with the words, “During the six days of the International Book Fair in Hargeisa, 25 different scientific discussions were held at the center. 15 book fairs were also presented that saw the launching presentations of 35 new ones.
150 participants that had researchers, writers, poets and scholars conducted presentations and gave diverse lectures throughout the event.
He observed that the expo was arguably the biggest book fair in going by the number of patrons who visited the expo on day and night basis by the tens of thousands throughout the exhibition.
Various certificates were awarded to 40 students who attended several weeks’ course at the center on literal prose.
Chairman of the Cultural Center of Hargeisa Dr. Jama Musa Jama who spoke on the occasion, thanked all the people of the world and the country who came to attend the Hargeisa International Book Fair, which this year is the 17th edition of the Redsea Cultural Foundation Club organized by the Cultural Center Hargeisa has been a part of it since its inception in 2008. He thanked the staff of the Cultural Center and 25 young volunteers from the regions of Somaliland.
He also thanked the Hargeisa Group Hospital for participating in the exhibition this year. He also thanked everyone who made the success of the event either through participation or contribution to the exhibition.
He announced the most popular book at the event as “Mana-Fay” as he revealed the top four and hailed them.
He said, “The best-selling book during this exhibition is the book Mana-Fay written by Mohamed Dahir Afrah. The second book is ‘The Invincible State’ written by Dr. Jama Guled. The third book is ‘Danjire Kongo’, and the fourth place is the book ‘Hundred Projects and Projects’ written by Sheikh Hamse”.
Saying that he was elated by the contents of the Mana-Fay, he praised the message it relayed to the youth about the essence of reading, he congratulated them for their fetes.