First Kurdish-language book fair opens in Sulaymaniyah

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — The first book fair dedicated to Kurdish-language publications opened on Friday at the Aile AVM shopping center in Sulaymaniyah, northern Iraq. Running under the slogan "Kurdish books, our language and our identity," the fair will operate daily from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. through August 23, 2026. Forty-five publishing houses from cities across the Kirkuk region are taking part, offering thousands of titles in literature, short stories, novels, history and other fields at discounted prices. The event also features rare editions that are difficult to find in regular bookstores. Fair coordinator Rewaz Heme Salih said the aim was to promote Kurdish culture across different fields and introduce the work of Kurdish writers to wider audiences. Visitor Mohammed Ahmed described Sulaymaniyah as the city's "cultural capital" and said the fair offered good and rare books at reasonable prices.