Zakho Welcomes International Publishers for Six-Day Book Fair

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The second Zakho International Book Fair opened on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, bringing together nearly 100 publishing houses from the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and foreign countries for six days devoted to books, reading and cultural exchange.

Government officials, writers and intellectuals attended the opening in the Zakho Independent Administration, where publishers are presenting more than 500,000 titles in Kurdish, Arabic, English and other languages, according to figures released for the event.

The gathering is larger and more internationally diverse than its inaugural edition, organizers said, with roughly 50 local publishing houses from Kurdistan joining participants from around 15 countries beyond the Region.

An Expanded Cultural Gathering

Gohdar Shekho, Supervisor of the Zakho Independent Administration, welcomed the fair's return and said its first edition had encouraged organizers to broaden participation this year.

"We are pleased to hold the book fair in Zakho for the second time," Shekho said at the opening ceremony. "We are very happy that we achieved good success in the first year, and this year we have greater foreign participation, in addition to the strong presence of participants from within Kurdistan and Iraq."

The range of participating publishers gives visitors access to works produced both locally and abroad. For readers interested in Kurdish writing, the presence of regional publishers offers an opportunity to explore books alongside publications from other linguistic and cultural traditions.

The fair includes literature, history, politics, philosophy, science and children's books, reflecting an effort to attract readers with different interests and levels of study. Organizers have also announced special discounts, including offers intended to make purchases easier for students.

Rather than concentrating on one discipline or language, the selection brings creative writing, academic subjects and material for younger readers into the same event. For students and families, the six-day schedule offers an opportunity to browse subjects that may not be part of their everyday reading.

Zakho's Intellectual Heritage

Shekho linked the gathering to the administration's broader interest in education, science and literature, emphasizing Zakho's history as a home to writers and thinkers.

"As the Zakho Independent Administration, and upon the directive of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, we have given significant attention to intellectual, scientific and literary fields," he said.

He described Zakho as a place that has produced poets, writers and intellectuals over generations, and said officials were continuing to develop the area according to plans for its future.

His remarks placed the book fair within a longer cultural tradition, rather than treating it simply as a marketplace for printed works. Bringing publishers and readers together is also an opportunity to give that tradition a public setting and introduce it to people encountering the fair for the first time.

Shekho encouraged residents and visitors to make use of the event while it is underway.

"The exhibition will continue for six days and includes books in all fields, so I invite everyone to visit and obtain the books they are interested in," he said.

A Wider Book-Fair Calendar

Zakho's gathering follows another major publishing event in the Kurdistan Region: the 18th Erbil International Book Fair, which opened on Oct. 21 in the presence of President Masoud Barzani.

Held under the slogan "I Am Kurdistani," the Erbil fair brought together more than 400 publishing houses and book-related institutions from 18 countries. Its program included literary and cultural activities as well as access to a large selection of titles across multiple disciplines.

The two events differ in scale, but both provide venues for publishers, authors and readers to meet and for books in different languages to reach audiences in the Kurdistan Region.

At the Erbil gathering, Kurdistan Regional Government Deputy Minister of Culture and Youth Aryan Salahaddin spoke of the importance of encouraging reading as an everyday habit. He said the ministry wanted citizens to remain connected with books and knowledge, emphasizing the role of reading and science in social development.

Opportunities for Readers and Publishers

In Zakho, the organizers' emphasis on participation from within Kurdistan and abroad places local publishing houses alongside international exhibitors. That combination broadens the selection available to visitors without displacing the role of Kurdish publishers in the event.

The discounts also give the fair an educational dimension, particularly for students seeking books in science, literature, philosophy and other fields. No detailed discount rates or individual publisher offers were specified in the opening announcement.

Shekho said the administration hoped the event would continue attracting readers throughout its six-day run. With nearly 100 publishing houses participating, the second edition represents an expansion of a cultural gathering that began only a year earlier.

For Zakho, the fair is another occasion to bring its literary heritage into contact with a wider publishing community, while giving readers a chance to discover books from Kurdistan, Iraq and beyond.