The Dakar International Book and Educational Materials Fair (FILDAK) has returned. Its 18th edition opened on Thursday 15 October and runs until 19 October. The previous edition took place in 2018, and Covid prevented any edition between 2020 and 2022.
Initially planned for the esplanade of the Grand Théâtre national, the fair moved to the Centre international du commerce extérieur du Sénégal (CICES). Ibrahima Lo, the government's director of books and reading, pointed to a problem with scheduling the spaces. CICES created the fair, which dates back to 1985.
This year's theme, "Library, transmission, sovereignty", puts public reading and the sharing of knowledge at the centre of the debates. Egypt is the guest of honour. Prime Minister Ahmadou Alhaminou Mouhamed Lô opened the fair on behalf of the head of state.
Before the opening, organisers expected 60 to 80 exhibitors and nine countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Guinea and the Gambia. For the scientific committee, Professor Ibrahima Wane framed the revival as a tradition kept alive through innovation.
Dakar's book month continues from 22 to 24 October with the 5th Dakar Women's Book Fair at Place de la Nation. Run by Amina Seck and the association Les Cultur'Elles, it welcomes Ivorian writer and visual artist Véronique Tadjo as guest of honour, with Mali as guest country.
