AlQuds bookfair - first edition 2023

The poster was Designed by Nadeem Mazen, who works as an exhibition curator and coordinator.

Nadeem is the Co-ordinator of the Souq Al Quds Project

The Yabous Cultural Centre in Jerusalem organized a distinguished cultural event, the Jerusalem Book Fair. The fair served as a literary and artistic platform reflecting the diversity of the Palestinian cultural scene.

The exhibition brought together more than 900 book titles across various fields, including literature, poetry, scientific, political, and educational studies, as well as books for children and young adults. Contributing institutions and publishers included the Abdul Mohsen Qattan Foundation, Al-Mutawassit, Al-Nashir, Tibaq, the Institute for Palestine Studies, MADAR, Rumman, Yabous Cultural Centre, Tamer Institute, and several others. Alongside the books, artworks by Palestinian female artists such as Sondos Rajabi, Shatha Safi, Sabreen Haj Ahmad, and Mariam Awawdeh were also exhibited.

The fair was not limited to display and sales, it became a lively space for cultural interaction. A series of parallel activities took place, including poetry evenings where poet Wael Abu ‘Arafa read from his works, and storytelling sessions by Majida Subhi and Hussam Abu Eisha, who performed traditional tales for children and youth. Artistic-literary workshops also enriched the program, such as “From Tale to Another” led by artist Ruhi Ayadi.

Books themselves held a central role, with special launch and signing evenings for new works such as “The Nose of Leila Mourad” by writer Ziad Khaddash. For children, activities combined storytelling with visual arts and collage, presented in an engaging and educational style by writer Asmaa Azaizeh.

In this way, the Jerusalem Book Fair offered a comprehensive cultural model, celebrating books, art, and creativity, while also reinforcing the presence of reading and cultural identity in the daily life of Jerusalemite and Palestinian society.

It is worth noting that the Jerusalem Book Fair is the first of its kind in the city.