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Rabat Designated as UNESCO World Book Capital for 2026
Rabat has been named the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2026, succeeding Rio de Janeiro. The designation begins on April 23, 2026, and includes a year-long program to promote literacy and literature. Activities focus on reducing illiteracy, supporting reading among women and children, and strengthening the local publishing industry.
Apr 23, 9:28 AM·2m read1 source
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Rabat, Morocco, has been selected as the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2026. The title transfers from Rio de Janeiro and starts on April 23, 2026. The program includes efforts to combat illiteracy in underserved communities, promote reading among women and children, and support the local publishing industry.
The initiative aims to integrate reading into public spaces such as parks and cafes. Rabat was chosen due to its literary scene and role as a cultural crossroads. The city hosts the International Book and Publishing Fair, known as SIEL, which is one of Africa's largest book fairs.
The SIEL is scheduled from April 30 to May 10, 2026. It features more than 700 exhibitors from around 50 countries. This year's event coincides with the World Book Capital designation and includes France as the guest of honor. France's participation highlights Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux and seeks to enhance partnerships between French and Moroccan writers, publishers, and translators.
The fair will also focus on Ibn Battuta and the Moroccan diaspora. Events include seminars, panels, poetry readings, podcasts, and discussions on Arabic children's literature.
Book lovers can explore bookstalls in Rabat's Medina. One stall, operated by bookseller Mohammed Aziz, contains thousands of secondhand books. Visitors may find rare items and interact with tourists, students, and locals.
The Museum Mohammed VI of Modern Art offers exhibitions of Moroccan and African works. It presents a visual history of 20th-century Morocco, covering periods from colonial-era realism to modern abstraction and contemporary social commentary. The museum includes displays on identity, modernity, and transition, along with study spaces, paintings, and photography.
