Held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, this year's event, which runs until June 11, will see the participation of over 700 exhibitors, including 287 direct and 450 indirect exhibitors, representing 51 countries, with Quebec as a special guest.

In a statement to the press, Mr. Bensaid emphasized that the Book Fair is an unmissable event for all citizens, celebrating writers, books and literature.

Each year, this international event attracts a great deal of interest from visitors and participants alike, he noted, adding that "the figures we record every year show that there's a thirst for reading, culture and books, which drives us to improve our cultural programming every year".

The choice of Quebec as a special guest is part of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Canada, he added.

For her part, Karine Vachon, general manager of the national association of book publishers (ANEL) in Quebec, welcomed the choice of Quebec as a special guest for this new edition of SIEL, noting that "this cultural event represents an unprecedented opportunity to create links and bridges between the public and professionals in Morocco and Quebec".

"We hope to be present at future editions of this fair, so that we can continue to reflect on the relationship between Quebec and Morocco, but also to showcase the diversity of Quebec culture on the international stage," she said.

MAP