The 30th edition of the International Book and Publishing Fair (SIEL 2025), which concluded on Sunday, attracted more than 403,000 visitors, marking a 26% increase compared to last year. In a statement, the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication noted that the event, held from April 18 to 27, brought together 756 exhibitors from 51 countries, offering nearly 100,000 titles. This edition placed a special spotlight on the Emirate of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) and Moroccan writers from around the world. It further cemented SIEL's status as a showcase of Moroccan literary dynamism while positioning Rabat as a leading cultural destination, ahead of its designation as the World Book Capital in 2026. The Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME) praised the event's rich program, which featured more than sixty activities and over 170 guests from Morocco and 16 countries where Moroccan expatriate authors live. Across the SIEL spaces and beyond, including at a joint stand with the Ministry, these gatherings paid tribute to key figures in immigration literature, such as Abdellah Bounfour, Lalla Khiti Amina Benhachem Alaoui, Ahmed Ghazali, and Edmond Amran El Maleh, according to a statement. The Council also highlighted the special attention given to writer Driss Chraïbi, whose centenary will be celebrated in 2026. Other highlights included an exhibition featuring fourteen Moroccan photographers from around the world, screenings of ten pioneering films on Moroccan immigration, a multilingual poetry evening in Arabic, Amazigh, French, English, Italian, and Spanish with eleven poets, four philosophical roundtables, and twenty discussions around recently published novels and essays focusing on immigration themes. In addition, an immigration-themed bookstore offered more than 600 works showcasing the richness of Moroccan voices worldwide, including twenty new publications co-published by the CCME with Moroccan publishers. The Council also welcomed the launch of a new translation program, initiated by the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, aimed at translating the literary works of Moroccans around the world into Arabic.
