Rabat named World Book Capital

Rabat is about to begin its year as UNESCO’s World Book Capital, with the official program set to open on April 23, 2026. (unesco.org) (barlamantoday.com) UNESCO awarded Rabat the 2026 designation in October 2024 after a recommendation from its World Book Capital Advisory Committee. The agency said the choice recognized Rabat’s literary scene, education efforts, and work to widen access to books. (unesco.org) The launch is timed to World Book and Copyright Day on April 23, the annual UNESCO-backed date used by cities and publishers to promote reading and publishing. Morocco’s culture ministry is tying that opening to a larger spring book season in the capital. (unesco.org) (barlamantoday.com) That larger event is the 31st International Publishing and Book Fair, scheduled at OLM Souissi in Rabat from April 30 or May 1 through May 10, depending on the organizer notice cited. The International Publishers Association and Morocco’s culture ministry list April 30 to May 10, while several local reports describe the public run as May 1 to May 10. (internationalpublishers.org) (mjcc.gov.ma) (barlamantoday.com) France is the guest of honor for this year’s fair, and organizers have dedicated the edition to Ibn Battuta, the 14th-century Moroccan traveler and writer from Tangier. The fair is being organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication. (internationalpublishers.org) (mjcc.gov.ma) UNESCO’s World Book Capital is a one-year label given to one city each year to promote books and reading through public programs, schools, libraries, and publishers. Rabat follows Rio de Janeiro, which holds the title in 2025. (unesco.org) UNESCO said Rabat stood out for its network of 54 publishing houses and its role in Morocco’s book trade. The agency also pointed to local measures aimed at literacy and access for underserved communities. (unesco.org) (en.assahafa.com) The book fair gives that UNESCO title a ready-made stage: publishers, writers, and readers will gather in the capital just days after the April 23 opening. By early January, Morocco’s ministry was already presenting the fair as part of the city’s World Book Capital year. (mjcc.gov.ma) (internationalpublishers.org) The next marker is straightforward: April 23 starts the official program, and the international fair follows at OLM Souissi at the turn of the month. For Rabat, the UNESCO title now shifts from announcement to a calendar of public events. (barlamantoday.com) (internationalpublishers.org)