The three-day 9th Cambodia Book Fair 2022, organised by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Ministry of Education Youth and Sports began this morning at the National Library in Phnom Penh.
Themed “A Day Reading, A Day More of Understanding”, the exhibition was kick-started under the presidency of H.E. Mrs. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts and H.E. Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information.
Some 250 senior officials, civil servants, representatives of the Embassy of France in Cambodia, librarians from ministries and institutions, Buddhist monks, and so on joined the fair’s opening ceremony.
The three-day (Dec. 9 to 11) expo will be a good opportunity for the public, especially students to buy books for reading and draw experience from the authors there.
Many different kinds of books ranging from history to personal development and novels in Khmer and foreign languages are exhibited on 198 booths at the fair, which is expected to attract some 100,000 visitors.
Besides book sales, there will be many other interesting activities to promote reading.
Cambodia Book Fair was cancelled for two consecutive years – in 2020 and 2021 – due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, there were only 145 booths, but up to 180,000 visitors, making it the biggest fair in Cambodia in terms of large number of visitors in three days.
The book fair is an annual event held regularly at the National Library in order to raise public awareness of books in Khmer and foreign languages, and to promote the publishing industry in Cambodia.
It also aims to support Cambodian writers and illustrators, as well as to cultivate a love of reading habits among Cambodians of all ages and to foster a passion for writing for the younger generation.
Source: Agency Kampuchea Press