Amer Moayed
Photography: Mahmoud Raouf
Hundreds of old and new titles were presented at the Iraq International Book Fair, which is held by Al-Mada Foundation, including Iraqi writers who cannot be present in the capital, Baghdad, among their readers.
Some of them imposed living conditions on him not to come and share his new version with the reader, and some of them are threatened because of his position on some political parties, so his coming may endanger his life.
With different circumstances, the writer is very eager to come to his land, sign his new version for his fans and audience, take memorial photos with him, and also this may include holding a signing ceremony for him and discussing his publication.
Writer and novelist Enaam Kachachi, who was recently nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature, said in her speech at the outset that I am not aware of the sales of my books in Iraq, and I wish there would be Iraqi editions instead of piracy, as I am certainly happy that my books reach my first reader in my opinion, who is the son of my country, from whom I derive my characters and the themes of my novels.
Kachachi added that “the spread of sales cannot be known, as there is no Arab writer who has correct figures for the distribution of his books, and that what bothers me the most is to write stories that take place at fifty degrees Celsius and sleep in front of the computer in a country with zero temperature.”
At the end of her speech, she said, “I wished I was closer geographically than my supposed readers and share with them the conversation about what I publish,” pointing out that “I have no identity without the capital Baghdad.”
It is not required that you produce a literary publication or expatriate away from your land on age, as there are those who are beginning their way and have decided to leave the country and keep their “literary child” in their cities.”
Among them is the poet Mobin Khashani, who is now in Turkey and has a new book published by Dar Al-Rafidain entitled “Kidnapped from the Hand of Comfort”.
“At the Istanbul Arabic Book Fair a few months ago, my publisher asked me is there a possibility for you to attend the Iraq International Book Fair and sign your book earlier? But with great sadness, I replied that I couldn’t.”
He added that “the publisher of the book assured me that my book will be present at the exhibition and I felt great sadness because I am far from Baghdad and its exhibition and I was unable to sign the book, but I was pleased with the turnout of readers to it.”
He pointed out that “many of them wrote to me that they bought it, and I doubled my happiness with the hospitality of friends with my first publication, and I felt that their presence compensates for my forced absence from my home country.”
Indeed, there are writers who communicate periodically with publishers who print their books to ask them about people’s demand to buy them and also to know the conditions of the exhibition, where Karim Taha, head of Mediterranean publications in Baghdad, says that “the writer’s distance from his readers is sad.”
Taha added that “many writers cannot attend, for example, Hassan Balasem, it is difficult for him to come because of what he writes and his opinions that bother many and fear for his life does not come.”
Taha pointed out that “the writer Karim Katafa came one year to the book fair to sign his book, but being present constantly is often difficult due to the circumstances surrounding the writer.”