The International Book fair of Tunis ended with a note of enthusiasm and maturity. Inaugurated by the head of state, Kaïs Saïed, the event, carried by the fervor of the public, the strong presence of young people and an assertive opening on digital, confirms its central role in the cultural landscape.
The press –39e Edition of the International Book Fair of Tunis (Filt) fell the curtain yesterday, Sunday, May 4, after ten days of intense literary and cultural activity. If a year separates it from “the age of reason”, this edition has nevertheless testified to an exceptional vitality and an organizational maturity which force respect.
With more than 110,000 titles presented, 313 exhibitors (including 107 Tunisians and 166 foreigners) and 29 countries represented, not to mention around thirty Tunisian public institutions, the FILT won once again as an essential meeting of the Maghreb and Mediterranean cultural landscape. A budget of 1.8 million dinars was allocated to this edition, placed under the slogan “We read to build”, affirming the conviction of the role of the book as a pillar of cultural and citizen development.
This edition has highlighted the new challenges of the sector, including migration to digital literary content, now perceived as a lever for culture access, readership training and enlargement of book professions. An axis of work that has become central to support the changes in the world of publishing and strengthen the place of the book in the digital universe.
China in the spotlight: traditions and technologies
A guest of honor, China has marked the spirits by the richness of its participation. Its pavilion of more than 500 m² welcomed more than 100 personalities, writers, intellectuals and publishers from all over the country, representing 40 publishing houses. The Chinese cultural program has focused on digital technologies and artificial intelligence, at the crossroads of traditional knowledge and the most contemporary innovations. Conferences, debates, workshops and artistic shows allowed the public to discover unknown facets of this millennial culture.
The young readership, a assertive priority
Particular attention was paid to children and young readers. 255 events were dedicated to them, as well as 50 visits organized in partnership with regional delegations to bring students from the interior of the country. These efforts bear witness to a proactive policy to reconcile Tunisian youth, wherever they are, with reading, often competition excessively by digital screens and distractions.
A “muslimania” at the heart of the fair
One of the highlights was undoubtedly the day of the 1is May, marked by a record crowd on the occasion of a dedication session of the famous Saudi author Osama Muslim. From the early hours of the morning, several hundred young people flocked to obtain a signature of their idol. This phenomenon, a real “Muslimania”, offered a delightful image: that of a vibrant Tunisian youth, eager for literature and capable of waiting for hours to meet a writer.
But the fervor of the event succeeded a palpable tension for a moment. In full effervescence, in the middle of this tide of readers who came to celebrate literature, some voices were heard. Young people, brandishing the Palestinian flag, arrested Osama Muslim, the host of Tunisia, to force the political position of his country, Saudi Arabia vis-à-vis the Palestinian cause. An unexpected scene, marked with tension, which has somewhat tarnished the atmosphere of the event.
There are gestures that say the disarray of a generation. The emotion is there, sincere, often on the edge. But the book fair is a space for dialogue, meeting and respect. To spoil this space, even by indignation, amounts to weakening a cause however noble. In addition, as unshakeable as it is, the historical solidarity of Tunisians towards the Palestinian people must in no case be to the detriment of the national interests of our country. Igullywood impulses and regional destabilizations never made it possible to advance this cause. On the contrary.
A living culture, a pact to renew
This incident cannot however obscure the essentials. The filt, by its magnitude and its commitment, confirms that in Tunisia, the book remains alive, desired, carrier of collective momentum. This edition has shown a country that continues to believe in culture as a tool for individual construction and social cohesion. A country which, despite the opposite winds, has not given up the idea that a child who reads is already a citizen in the making.
This may be the most beautiful education of this 39e edition; In a world jostled by the din and the snapshot, the book remains a silent refuge, a lighthouse in the storm, a discreet but powerful vector of link and unity. This shared effervescence, this crowd of anonymous people who came to leaf through pages, reach out a book to sign or simply sit to listen to a reading, reminds us that culture is not essential. It is lived, it is transmitted, it conquers itself – especially when it is carried with so much consistency and care by those who have made the success of this event possible. To see, in so many young and old, this vibrant appetite for reading and this sincere attachment to the book reborn a deep conviction; Despite the doubts, despite the tremors, it is in this direction that we must continue to move forward.
