Sudan to pre-censor exhibits at Khartoum International Book Fair

30/09/2018 08:46 KHARTOUM

The Ministry of Culture has ordered Sudanese publishing houses participating in the Khartoum International Book Fair to submit their publications for prior evaluation.
The 14th session of the international fair will be opened on October 17.
The director of El Musawarat Printing and Publishing Company, Osama El Reyeh, commented to Radio Dabanga by saying that “apart from imposing censorship, the idea is ridiculous as everyone understands that there won’t be many new publications this year”.
He pointed out that “the Khartoum fair this year is facing many challenges, mainly because of the economic crisis in the country.
“Because we have to import paper, the prices of books are soaring. And as most people even cannot afford to buy their basic daily needs, we expect to sell a very few books,” the publisher explained. “For this reason, most publishing houses will not even participate in the fair this year.”
In past years, security officials have seized publications presented at the Khartoum International Book Fair after the opening of the event.

A stand at the Khartoum International Book Fair 2016 (file photo)

The Ministry of Culture has ordered Sudanese publishing houses participating in the Khartoum International Book Fair to submit their publications for prior evaluation.

The 14th session of the international fair will be opened on October 17.

The director of El Musawarat Printing and Publishing Company, Osama El Reyeh, commented to Radio Dabanga by saying that “apart from imposing censorship, the idea is ridiculous as everyone understands that there won’t be many new publications this year”.

He pointed out that “the Khartoum fair this year is facing many challenges, mainly because of the economic crisis in the country.

“Because we have to import paper, the prices of books are soaring. And as most people even cannot afford to buy their basic daily needs, we expect to sell a very few books,” the publisher explained. “For this reason, most publishing houses will not even participate in the fair this year.”

In past years, security officials have seized publications presented at the Khartoum International Book Fair after the opening of the event.

At the 2016 Khartoum Book Fair, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and several Arabic novels were banned by the Sudanese security apparatus.