The Cairo International Book Fair has always been about more than just selling books and this year's event is no different. A large and wide-ranging calendar of events offers fairgoers the chance to see a variety of Egyptian and Arab cultural and intellectual figures.
The below calendar of events will be updated regularly as more events are scheduled.
23 January, 2012
4pm – Investment Hall 1 – Abdel-Monem Tallima leading debate on ‘Civil State: One term, different definitions’
6pm – Investment Hall 1 – Poetry evening: features work of the late Mahmoud Sami Al-Baroudy and modern Emirate poets
6pm – Culture Café – Nubian performance
24 January, 2012
Germany display – Hamed Abdel-Samad’s book presentation, Peace or War: The Arab revolution and the future of the west
12pm – Investment Hall 1 – Writer: El-Sayed Yasin, and book: January 25 Between Democratic Transformation and Complete revolution
12pm – Culture Café – From popular arts, experts share views about pottery art.
12pm – Arts Tent – showing movie, Al-Karnak
12pm – Creations Tent – Poets from the Square
12pm – Guest of Honour Hall 3 – Discussion: The Role of Culture, Art and Media in the Arab Spring Revolutions, in cooperation with Al-Ahram
1pm – Investment Hall 2 – Roundtable on the Tunisian Experience, hosting guests from Tunisia
2pm – Investment Hall 1 – discussing Tharwat Okasha’s book, The Eye Observes and the Ear Hears
2pm – Culture Café – Tahrir testimonies, featuring Zein Abdel-Hadi
2pm – Arts Tent – Performing play, Rise Up Egyptians, from Fouad Haggag poetry
2pm – Creations Tent – Artists from around the country: Guiza and Sharkia
3pm – Guest of Honour Hall 3 – Debate on Publishing and The Arab Spring
4pm – Investment Hall 1 – Mohamed Nour Farahat discussing the ‘Crisis of formulating the Egyptian Constitution’, featuring experts including Tahani El-Gebaly
4pm – Culture Café – Open discussion with renowned Egyptian economist, Galal Amin
4pm – Creations Tent – Discussing new novel, House of Fire, by Mahmoud El-Wardani
5pm – Creations Tent - Discussing the book of the Naguib Mahfouz celebration, 100 Writers and Authors for Mahfouz Centennial
5.30 – Guest of Honour Hall 3 – Discussing the Tunisian Revolution and the Egyptian Revolution
6pm – Poetry evening: first part about renowned Egyptian poet, Ahmed Shawky, and second part about Modern Tunisian poets
6pm – Culture Café – Bilal El-Sheikh performance
6pm – Arts Tent – Evening with the revolution singer, Ramy Essam
6pm – Creations Tent – Testimonies of novelist, featuring Youssef Al-Kaeed
27 January, 2012
12pm – Guest of Honour Hall 3 – Testimonies from the Tunisian Revolution
12pm – Creations Tent – Poets from the Square
1pm – Culture Café – Popular storytelling
1pm – Investment Hall 2 – Roundtable on Arab Narratives between Creativity and Adoption
1pm – Arts Tent – showing movie, It’s Chaos, by late director Youssef Shahin, with Khaled Youssef
2pm – Investment Hall 1 – Writer: Ayman Abdel-Wahab, and book: Water Security the Challenges of Development and Stability
2pm – Creations Tent – Artists from around the country: Beni Sueif and Damietta
3pm – Culture Café – Testimonies from Tahrir square
3pm – Arts Tent – Play performance
4pm – Guest of Honour Hall 3 – Tunisian poetry evening
4pm – Investment Hall 1 – Celebrating the Centennial of Mahfouz, with host of intellectuals and novelists discussing The Egyptian Revolutions in Mahfouz’s Creations
4pm – Creations Tent – Discussing novel, The Oasis, but author Mohamed Gad
5pm – Culture Café – Open discussion with writer, Karima El-Hefnawy
5pm – Arts Tent – Discussion on The Revolution and TV Drama
6pm – Investment Hall 1 – Zein Abdel-Hadi leading discussion on The Cyber Space and the Making of the Revolution, hosting guests including activist Israa Abdel-Fattah
6pm – Creations Tent – Testimonies of novelist, featuring Said Salem and Montasser Al-Nakkash
7pm – Culture Café – Artist Hassan Zaki performing
7pm – Arts tent – Tannura band performing traditional songs
8pm – Investment Hall 1 – Poetry evening: first part on Egyptian poet, Hafez Ibrahim, and second part on voices of modern Libyan poets
28 January, 2012
12pm – Investment Hall 1 – Writer: Galal Amin, and book: Egypt and Egyptians in the Mubarak Era
12pm – Culture Café – Discussing Siwan culture
12pm – Arts Tent – Showing documentary Young Lenses
1pm – Investment Hall 2 – Roundtable on The Arabic Book Crisis: between publishing, distribution and modern technologies
2pm – Guest of Honour Hall 3 – Discussing ‘The Novel and the Revolution’
2pm – Investment Hall 1 – Discussing 100 years since Saleh Gawdat, hosting poet Ahmed Abdel-Moti Hegazy
2pm – Culture Café – Testimonies from Tahrir square, featuring poet Abdel-Monim Ramadan
2pm – Arts Tent – Play: The River Changes Course’
2pm – Creations Tent – Artists from around the country: Dakahlia and Gharbeya
4pm – Investment Hall 1 – Helmi El-Namnam leads discussion on ‘Capitalism and the Arab Revolutions’ hosting Hazem Hosni, Khaled El-Sergany and historian Sherif Younis
4pm – Culture Café – Open discussion with Hafez El-Marazi
4pm – Arts Tent – showing movie, Tahrir Movie 2011: The Kind, The Wicked and the Politician
4pm – Creations Tent – discussing novel, Tango and a Mawwal, by Mai Khaled
4pm – Guest of Honour Hall 3 – New books on the Tunisian revolution
6pm – Investment Hall 1 – Poetry evening: first part discussion about Beirm Al-Tonsi, and second part featuring voices from modern Iraqi poets
6pm – Culture Café – Beit Al-Oud performance
6pm – Arts Tent – The Egyptian Music and Singing band
6pm – Creations Tent – Novelists featuring Gamal El-Ghitany and Sahar El-Mougy
6pm – Guest of Honour Hall 3 – Discussing the future of African relations in light of the Arab revolutions, including a book signing for Sudan and the African Liberation Movements
29 January, 2012
German display – Meeting with the editorial board of Transit, an electronic magazine featuring contributions of bloggers from the Middle East
12pm – Investment Hall 1 – Writer: Aly Mabrouk, and book: Arab Revolutions and the Fundamental Discourse
12pm – Culture Café – Discussing basic artistic material: sand, rocks and marble
12pm – Arts Tent – showing short documentaries about Tahrir
1pm – Investment Hall 2 – Roundtable ‘Egypt’s Character and the question of Identity’
2pm – Investment Hall 1 – Celebrating 150 years since Gorgy Zeidan’s birth
2pm – Culture Café – Tahrir testimonies, featuring Khaled Ali
2pm – Arts tent – play performance ‘Square Mates’
4pm – Wahid Abdel-Meguid hosting Essam Soltan and Amr Hamzawy to discus ‘Parliaments of the Arab Spring’
4pm – Culture Café – open discussion with Amr El-Shobky
4pm – Arts Tent – showing movie Asmaa
6pm – Investment Hall 1 – Poetry evening: first part discussion on poet Mahmoud Taha, and second part on voices of modern Jordanian poets
6pm – Culture Café – Play performance ‘A farmer in Tahrir’
6pm – Arts Tent – Performance by the National Arabic Music Band, by conductor Selim Sahab
Monday 30 January
12 noon– Investment Hall 1 - Writer Ahmed Zakaria Ashalaq on the book Development of Modern Egypt
12 noon – Cultural Café - Popular cultural diversity
12 noon – Creation Tent - Poets from Tahrir Square
2pm – Investment Hall 3 - Books on the Tunisian revolution featuring Aroussia Alnalouty
2pm – Creation Tent - Poets from suburbs
2pm – One hundred years on Ahmed Orabi's death
2pm – Tahrir testimonies, featuring Alaa AbdelFattah
4pm – Investment Hall 1 - The role of sarcasm/humour in the revolution
4pm – Investment Hall 3 - Book discussion Persons around Gaddafi for former ambassador Abderrahman Shalqam, featuring renowned writer Gamal AlGhitany
4pm – Cultural Café - Open discussion with Salafist part (Al Nour Party) leader, Nader Bakkar
4pm – Creation Tent - Discussion on Abdou Goubair's novel, Radwan Vacation
6pm – Cultural Café - Helm Youssef film screening
6pm – Investment Hall 1 - Poetry evening and voices from modern Syrian poetry
6pm – Testimonies from novels, featuring Manssy Qandeel.
Tuesday 31 January
12 noon – Investment Hall 1 - writer Mohammed Hafez Diab and book discussion on Uprisings or Revolutions
12 noon – Cultural Café - Sinai cultural diversity, featuring writer Saad Hagras
1pm – Investment Hall 2 - Round Table on Freedom of Expression in the light of the last political changes, featuring law man Hossam Eissa and artist Mohammed Abla, Professor Ali Mabrouk
2pm – Culture Café - Tahrir testimonies.
2pm – Investment Hall 1 - Celebrating 50-year anniversary of Bayram Altunsi's death
4pm – Investment Hall 1 - Discussing post-revolution parties, featuring Khalid Tallima and Mostafa AlNaggar.
4pm – Culture Café - Open discussion with renowned political analyst and parliament member, Amr Hamzawy
4pm – Creation Tent - Artistic seminar about the Egyptian theatre and the revolution
4pm – Investment Hall 3 - Celebrating Mahmoud AlMosaady's centenary, featuring Fatma Lakhdar and Ferial Ghazoul
6pm – Investment Hall 1 - Poetry session about Poet Mahmoud Hassan Isma'il and voices from modern Algerian Poetry
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