Al-Milifi: Record participation in the 'Summer Book' at the Graduates Association
The president of the Graduates Association, Ibrahim Al-Mulifi, announced that the association’s Summer Book Fair opened on its ninth edition in 2026 the day before yesterday, with the presence of the Tunisian Ambassador to Kuwait, Mohamed Karim Bouddali. The fair witnessed a record increase in the number of participants, with 20 publishing houses and various other entities taking part, underscoring the success and significance of this cultural event, which offers the public a distinct cultural dimension to complement their summer holidays, while welcoming visitors of all ages.
Al-Mulifi emphasized the association’s commitment to introducing innovations in each edition, including the first-time participation of private universities. This aims to provide a space for direct interaction between the universities and students seeking to continue their studies, away from electronic means and digital platforms. The fair will run for five days, including Friday and Saturday, to allow visitors to attend and enjoy its artistic and cultural atmosphere over the weekend.
He noted that the ninth edition features, for the first time, a pavilion for visual arts and artistic workshops such as drawing and caricature, offering visitors a unique experience to learn and obtain face paintings in innovative and entertaining ways. He affirmed that the association remains open to continuous development and expanding participation in each edition, providing the necessary space as the fair continues to grow.
For his part, Dr. Saud Al-Anzi, Executive Director of the Hamad Abdulaziz Al-Saqer Center for Technology and Innovation, stated that the center’s participation in the fair represents an important opportunity to promote its training and youth qualification services. The fair enables direct engagement with the public, addressing inquiries from those interested in enrolling in training courses, as well as scheduling appointments for individuals wishing to benefit from the center’s programs.
Al-Anzi praised the Graduates Association’s efforts in attracting the largest possible number of libraries and participating entities. He highlighted that what distinguishes the fair is the quality of its participants and the diversity of their publications. Participating publishing houses have made a point of presenting their latest releases, thereby offering visitors a wide range of books covering literature, novels, politics, sociology, economics, and more, giving readers the opportunity to explore titles that match their interests and intellectual needs.
He pointed out that holding the fair during the summer gives it special significance as a cultural event eagerly anticipated by book lovers, particularly since the annual Kuwait International Book Fair takes place in November. He clarified that the Graduates Association’s Summer Book Fair has become an additional opportunity for readers to discover and purchase new books during the summer season.
From the perspective of participating publishers, Fajr Al-Rabiean, Director of Al-Rabiean Publishing and Distribution Company, said the company is keen on continuous participation in the book fairs organized by the Graduates Association. Over nine editions, the fair has become a landmark in the Kuwaiti cultural scene. She commended the association’s role as a civil institution capable of making a difference and competing strongly in the reading market, creating a professional and purposeful space for interaction among authors, readers, publishers, and participating institutions.
She affirmed that books continue to assert their strength despite technological challenges, which should be leveraged rather than resisted, to serve readers and engage with the public. This ensures that reading remains capable of attracting its enthusiasts and that books continue to appeal to lovers of all generations.
At the heart of the exhibition’s cultural landscape, visual arts served as another language for dialogue with the audience. In the visual arts pavilion, cartoonist Badr Bu Ghayth was seen observing the features of a young visitor before transforming them into a distinctive caricature through his lines. This experience, which combined drawing with direct interaction with the public, demonstrated that reading and culture can extend from the pages of books into a broader realm of visual expression.
In the adjacent pavilion, visual artist Eli Bu Shaia offered a different visual experience, featuring paintings that evoked love for Kuwait, horses, beauty, and Ramadan rituals through innovative artistic styles. He also drew visitors’ faces in the Japanese “shibui” style, creating an experience that attracted both children and adults.
Bu Ghayth and Bu Shaia viewed their first participation in the Summer Book Fair organized by the Graduates Association as an opportunity to bring culture and art together in one space, offering the public a unique experience that blends books with visual arts.
For his part, Kuwaiti heritage researcher Saleh Al-Misbah stated that his participation in the exhibition through the Kuwait Library for Heritage, located in the Sea Day Village for the first time, featured over 50 historical Kuwaiti publications each by former Secretary-General of the Writers’ Association Dr. Adel Abdulmoghni and former Secretary-General Hamad Al-Hamad. These works cover Kuwaiti heritage, poets, writers, ancient coins, and rare editions about Abdulaziz Al-Rashid, Kuwait’s first nurse, Abdullah Zakaria Al-Ansari, and AbdulSamad Al-Turki. This makes the exhibition a valuable opportunity for heritage enthusiasts to enjoy a rich experience immersed in Kuwait’s past and its flourishing history.
Abdulaziz Al-Mohammed, coordinator of the Oral History Documentation Project at the American University of Kuwait, expressed his happiness over the university’s first participation in the fair to introduce the project, which aims to document prominent figures in various fields in Kuwait through interviews published on the university’s website. This initiative contributes to preserving Kuwait’s history and the contributions of creative individuals.
Several participating authors, in separate statements to “Al-Jareeda,” expressed their delight with the exhibition’s atmosphere and the opportunity to meet their readers at a summer fair dedicated to reading, culture, and knowledge. Among them was children’s book author Mohammed Awad, who emphasized that the strong turnout since the first day filled them with optimism and enthusiasm for engaging with readers, especially children who made a point of visiting the exhibition pavilions.
Writer Hussein Ghaloum added that the exhibition serves as a gracious invitation that allows independent authors to participate. He highlighted his own writing experience, which includes a short story collection and a novel, through which he undertook a new endeavor involving reader participation in the funding and printing of the book. This approach helped finance and market the book, resulting in a successful experience worthy of study and expansion to encourage young people to pursue writing as both a talent and a profession.
