"A wide range of publications will be exhibited at the SIEL, reflecting diversity and richness with a total of 100,000 titles," the ministry said at a press conference dedicated to the programming of the 27th edition of the book fair.

The press conference was held in the presence of Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid and the dean of the African Diplomatic Corps in Morocco, Mouhamadou Youssifou.

Given "the designation of Rabat as the Capital of African Culture for the year 2022 and in recognition of the multidimensional links between the culture of Morocco and that of sisterly African countries, this edition honors African literature," the ministry said in a document handed out on this occasion.

This edition will feature a rich and diverse cultural programming, with six spaces for meetings and debates to accommodate a array of professionals, creators, writers and researchers from Morocco and abroad, according to the same source.

In addition to 380 speakers who will attend conferences, meetings and presentations of new releases and poetry evenings, other activities will also take place including the presentation of the Ibn Battuta Prize for travel literature, the young poets' Award and the National Reading Award.

A variety of activities are also planned for children, supervised by 63 animators.

The conduct of this exhibition was made possible through the support and mobilization of several partners including the Wilaya of the region Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, the Municipality of Rabat, the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, Foundation for the Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage of Rabat and the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection.