Participants are seen behind a display at the Mogadishu Book Fair in Mogadishu, Somalia. (Courtesy – Mogadishu Book Fair)
Participants are seen behind a display at the Mogadishu Book Fair in Mogadishu, Somalia. (Courtesy – Mogadishu Book Fair)
The capital of Somalia is one of the most dangerous cities in the world, but this week fear of blasts has been overcome by a love for books.
Organizers say about 2,000 people turned out on the first day of the Mogadishu Book Fair to meet authors and examine hundreds of titles on display. The three-day event runs through Friday.
The book fair shows a different side of a city trying to emerge from decades of unrest, destruction and waves of deadly attacks by al-Shabab militants.
Mohamed Dini, the founder of the book fair, said the goal of the event is to help rebuild the nation.
“Books and knowledge will be central pillars to the new Somalia we want to see,” he told VOA’s Somali Service. “Books and pens will have to replace the chaos, screaming and guns.”
Somalis took to social media to hail the event as a “positive development” and “images you won’t see in mainstream media.”