Minister Malika Bendouda Celebrates SILA’s Record-Breaking Attendance, Pledges to Make Books a Daily Companion for Every Algerian
✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada
Algiers – November 2025 – The 28th edition of the Algiers International Book Fair (AIBF) wrapped up on Saturday with unprecedented attendance, highlighting a remarkable surge in Algerians’ engagement with literature and culture. Presiding over the closing ceremony at the Safex exhibition center, Minister of Culture and Arts, Malika Bendouda, announced that the total number of visitors had exceeded six million, including a single-day peak of 850,000 visitors on November 7, marking the busiest day in AIBF’s history.
In her address, Minister Bendouda underscored the central role of books in shaping the national consciousness, declaring: “Our objective is to make the book a daily companion for every Algerian. Culture must reach every household, and AIBF’s mission extends beyond the exhibition itself, fostering a continuous national dynamic around public reading.” She emphasized that despite the limited preparation time, this edition reflected the vision of a modern, open, and proud Algeria, celebrating its heritage and identity through an expansive cultural program.
The 2025 AIBF edition hosted 1,258 exhibitors from 49 countries across 565 stands, displaying a staggering 140,000 titles. The festival featured 530 cultural activities, including conferences, poetry readings, book signings, and interactive workshops, with participation from 258 prominent national and international intellectual figures. The event also included an international colloquium titled “Algeria in Civilization”, cementing AIBF’s position as a major global literary event.
During the closing ceremony, the Ministry honored seven distinguished cultural figures for their outstanding contributions to Algeria’s literary and intellectual scene: Abdelhamid Bourayou, Makhlouf Ameur, Nadia Nouacer, Abdelhamid Chkiel, Christiane Chaulet Achour (represented by Afifa Bradhi), Habiba M’hamdi, and Bachir Khelf (represented by novelist Lakhdar Chouar). Awards included certificates of recognition from the Ministry alongside financial prizes granted by the festival’s organizing committee.
Additionally, AIBF’s official awards were presented. The Best Stand accolade was awarded to Le Beau Livre, managed by the Ministry through the National Library. The First Book awards recognized young authors for literary excellence across multiple languages: Oualid Saber for Arabic, Khalidja Kerou for Tamazight, Selma Chergui for English, and Abdelmalek Azzaoui for French.
Commissaire of AIBF, Mohamed Iguerb, remarked that the record-breaking visitor statistics reflect Algerians’ enduring thirst for knowledge and cultural engagement. Minister Bendouda concluded by reaffirming her commitment to sustaining this momentum, ensuring reading becomes a daily practice for all Algerians and positioning Algeria as a beacon of culture, dialogue, and intellectual vitality.
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