Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

The 8th Baku International Book Fair has started at Baku Expo Center, Azernews reports, citing Azertac.

Over 60 foreign organizations from over 10 countries, 118 local publishing houses, and enterprises are represented at the book fair arranged by the Culture Ministry.

At the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmadov congratulated the readers on the occasion of the book holiday. He said that the book fairs have become a tradition in Azerbaijan.

Noting that the book is of human value, he highly appreciated the holding of such events in the country.

"The books occupy a great place in the acquisition of knowledge and habits of a person. They associate all human achievements with the book. It is impossible to imagine the development of human society without books. Now the book competes for survival in the electronic world. The Azerbaijani state and society treat science with great respect. Today, the country's book printing is the center of the state attention," said Ali Ahmadov.

He emphasized that thanks to the attention and care of President Ilham Aliyev, international book fairs and other international events are organized at a high level in the country.

Speaking at the event, Culture Minister Anar Karimov stressed the importance of the book fair.

He said that the Baku International Book Fair aims to increase interest in books and promote a reading culture.

The large-scale event introduces readers to digital innovations in the field of publishing and supports the development of the book industry sector and modern literary processes in the country.

The minister noted that the Baku International Book Fair, which has a 15-year history, is considered one of the country's leading events, which is welcomed by the society with great interest and stands out for its large number of participants.

"The difference of the 8th Baku International Book Fair from other previous years is that it is organized in a larger format. Of course, the book fair's previous edition was a turning point in the book industry. Azerbaijan has already formed experience in this field that meets new world standards. But the difference between this year's book fair and last year's is that the number of publishers and the book industry subjects, in general, is almost 30-40 percent higher than last year. For the first time, Turkiye participates in the book fair in our country as an honorary guest," said Anar Karimov.

He also noted that the 8th Baku International Book Fair is dedicated to the Year of Shusha in Azerbaijan and all constructions and book products are decorated with the symbols of the cultural capital. Anar Karimov added that 40 book publishing houses from Turkiye and 4 publishing houses from Russia, Iran, and Uzbekistan were invited to the book fair.

In total, over 110 book publishers are expected to participate. Quite famous guests from Turkiye and other countries have been invited as well. Among the guests are Ilbar Ortaylı, Fatih Erdogan, Khasiyet Rustam, and many others.

In his speech, Anar Karimov touched upon the campaign "Let's go to Karabakh with a book".

A campaign "Let's go to Karabakh with a book" will operate within the 8th Baku International Book Fair.

Around 93,212 books have been collected so far within the project, initiated by the Culture Ministry.

"On the last day of the book fair, the organizing committee will select winners in the nominations "Best publishing house" and "Best book". The publisher, which provides the release of the best book, dedicated to Shusha, in terms of content and polygraphy, will be awarded a Commemorative Badge, established on the occasion of the 270th anniversary of Shusha," said the minister.

Turkish Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Serdar Cam hailed the friendly ties between Azerbaijan and Turkiye.

"We constantly exchange partnerships in any field together. In recent years, a large number of books with different titles have been published in Turkiye," said Serdar Cam.

Emphasizing that book fairs unite the past and the present, the writer and the readers in the same place, the deputy minister expressed his gratitude to everyone, who contributed to the event organization.

Chairman of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union, People's Writer Anar Rzayev spoke about the role of the book in the life of society. He said that books are one of the main concepts at the center of society, books are culture.

"It is very important to create a love for books in children from a young age. Research shows that children who read more books from an early age, as well as children whose parents read more books, have higher academic achievements later in life. This once again shows how important books are in our lives as a means of reading," he said.

He noted that over 200 events, including master classes for children and adults, book presentations on inclusion and other relevant topics, book signing days, conferences, symposia, reading, and music hours are organized as part of the book fair.

The writer informed the ceremony of events to be held within the book fair. The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism will hold a series of events for book lovers in Baku. World-famous writers, historians, scientists, and Turkish actors are taking part in the book fair.

The 8th Baku International Book Fair will last until October 9.

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