The Hargeisa International Book Fair (HIBF) (Somali: Bandhigga Caalamiga ah ee Buugaagta Hargeysa) is an annual cultural event in the republic of Somaliland. It is one of the largest public book fairs in the Horn of Africa. Every summer, HIBF brings writers, poets, artists and thinkers from Somaliland and from all over the world gather to share and discuss their art and literary productions with a wider audience. The main goal of the festival is to promote a culture of reading and writing in the region by producing and publishing high quality Somali literature and translating international classical literature (including fiction, poetry and drama) into Somali. Organized by the Redsea Online Culture Foundation, the event aims to enable young people to access a range of cultural heritages, with the intention of stimulating the revival of all forms of art and human expression, including painting, poetry reciting, story-telling, drama composition and writing.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Hargeisa International Book Fair | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Multi-genre |
| Venue | Hargeysa Cultural Centre Hall |
| Location(s) | Hargeisa, Somaliland |
| Country | Somaliland |
| Inaugurated | 2008 |
| Attendance | 10,000 |
| Organized by | Redsea Online Culture Foundation |
| Website | www |
History
editOrigins
editThe Hargeisa International Book Fair was inaugurated in 2008 by Jama Musse Jama, who serves as Director.[6] It grew from 200 to 10,000 participants over the following six years.
Significance
editHIBF targets not only a young audience, but wider sectors of society. It aims to help foster cultural understanding, tolerance, democracy, and an appreciation of the diversity of Somali culture and literature. In the past few years, the Redsea Online Culture Foundation's festivals have served to raise the profile of reading and writing in the Somaliland region, and also unite youth from different provinces in the area. The main goal of the book fair is to promote critically thinking cultural and creative writing, to facilitate the habit of reading, to display books, from both local and writers abroad, to encourage members in the public to browse, read, engage with authors, serve as an inspiration to young people, and the wider society.
Parallel events and joint ventures
editSomaliland Moving Library: The Moving Library Tour is the Book Fair's flagship outreach event. An exciting initiative, it takes place a week before the opening of the festival in Hargeisa and is held across all regions of Somaliland. It aims to bring the ethos and principles of the Book Fair – of citizenship and creative freedoms – closer to aspiring writers and readers outside of the city.
Guests of honour and themes
edit| Year | Guest of honour | Focus of interest | Theme of the year | Motto |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Freedom | Theme: Freedom | Gobannimo bilaash maaha (Freedom is not for free) | |
| 2009 | Censorship | Theme: Censorship | The power of the written word | |
| 2010, July 23-27 | Citizenship | Theme: Citizenship | Give me books, not bombs | |
| 2011 | Collective memory | Theme: Collective memories | If you love me, give me a book as a gift | |
| 2012 | Djibouti | Djiboutian literature | Theme: Future | Faralaab ka dhigo buug (make a book your companion) |
| 2013 | United Kingdom | British literature | Theme: Journey | |
| 2014, August 8-13 | Malawi | Theme: Imagination | Set Your Imaginations Free, Higher Still, And Still Higher | |
| 2015, August 1-6 | Nigeria | Theme: Spaces | ||
| 2016, July 23-28 | Ghana | Theme: Leadership | ||
| 2017, July 22-27 | South Africa | Theme: Connectivity | ||
| 2018, July 21-26 | Rwanda | Theme: Wisdom | ||
| 2019, July 20-25 | Egypt | Theme: Coexistence |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ "Somaliland: Hargeisa International Book Fair: A Growing Nation of Books and Literature". Somaliland Standard. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "Somaliland: Vice-President Sayli Opens Hargeisa International Book Fair". Somaliland Sun. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "Somaliland: 12th Edition of Hargeisa International Book Fair Kicks Off". Horn Diplomat. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "11th book fair underway in Somaliland to reclaim cultural identity". Africa News. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "Somaliland : Visualizing the Future with the Hargeisa International Book Fair". Afri Cultures. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "Announcement: 2010 Hargeysa International Book Fair (HIBF) 23rd of July to the 27th of July 2010 in Hargeysa". Baadiya. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2014.