Iraqi book festival draws thousands
People came from various Iraqi provinces to attend the "I’m Iraqi, I read books" festival in Baghdad, as Iraqis show determination to combat the forces of terror.
BAGHDAD — In a rare scene, thousands of books and CDs were lined up in Abu Nawas park overlooking the Tigris River in Baghdad. People gathered there, as they read and picked any book they desired for free. It was the Iraqi Reading Festival, known as the “I'm Iraqi, I read books” festival, which successfully celebrated its third anniversary on Oct 4. Men, women and entire families attended the festival, where they browsed among the books and enjoyed reading. The children rallied around children’s books, joyfully picking them for an Eid gift.
The festival’s idea was conceived of three years ago and was intended to be held for one day as a reminder of the importance of books. Yet, the Iraqis’ great interest in books prompted the festival’s organizers to hold this event every year, said Ahmed Abdul Hussein, one of the organizers, in a phone interview with Al-Monitor. However, the festival was different this year from previous years, held while the country was undergoing a violent terrorist war, which has posed a great challenge for the festival organizers.
