One-day book fair in Kabul; Alarm over decline in book printing and economic problems of authors

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: Coinciding with World Book Day, a book fair and a program to honor the country’s writers were held at Bakhtar University with the participation of dozens of university professors, students, writers and poets, cultural figures and social activists.

 

Lal Ma Wal, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Bakhtar University, emphasized the importance of books in transferring knowledge and history and expressed concern over the increasing indifference of society to books, saying: “Today, unfortunately, books receive the least attention and interest, while it is books that have transmitted events and facts from the past to the present.” He added that Islamic civilization has developed and grown societies by relying on books and knowledge.

 

Mohammad Hanif Farzan, head of the Institute for Legal and Economic Studies, emphasized the importance of promoting the culture of reading, especially among students and youth, and considered the celebration of Book Day an opportunity to appreciate writers and promote this culture. Emphasizing the role of reading, buying, preserving, and writing books in improving the level of knowledge in society, he called for the use of technology to convey thoughts and ideas to the world. Farzan expressed concern about the state of the culture of book aversion in Afghan society, considering this phenomenon one of the main factors of the country's intellectual and scientific backwardness.

 

Writer and poet Javid Farhad criticized the chaotic state of the culture and literature, pointed out the challenges facing writers and book lovers, and considered economic problems to be one of the main reasons for the decline in people's interest in books. He emphasized that the process of publishing and writing books has also decreased, which is a warning sign for the cultural future of the country. Farhad called for the cooperation of international institutions such as UNESCO and the country's capitalists to support writers who do not have the financial means to publish their works, and considered holding book fairs effective in spreading science and knowledge.

 

Sayyed Ahmad Saeed, head of one of the country's publishing officials, referring to the importance of books and their publication in society, emphasized that the author, publisher, nation, and reader are the four basic pillars of spreading thought and ideas. He expressed concern about the difficult economic situation of publishers in the country and said: "Today, publishers have been forced to sell even printed books by the kilo due to economic pressures."

 

Ahmad Nasim Formali, a student and participant in the fair, considered reading useful for students and, expressing regret at the lack of this culture in society, called for the establishment of similar fairs to spread reading in the country. Mohammad Sangar, another student, expressed his satisfaction with holding this fair and called on universities and schools to play an active role in the growth and advancement of science and knowledge in the country.

 

It is worth mentioning that ten institutions and publishing houses participated in the exhibition by displaying 10,000 volumes of books. The aim of the exhibition is to support authors, promote a culture of reading among young people, and honor the status of books.