Italy is pleased to be this year the Country Guest of Honour at the 45th edition of the Kuwait International Book Fair in Mishref, starting from 16 and until 26 November.

Over ten Italian publishing houses have decided to exhibit their books at the beautiful Italian booth created for the occasion on the premises of the Fairground with the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), the Institute of Foreign Commerce. We will exhibit not only Italian literature and Italian encyclopedias, but also books for children and teenagers and books for learning the Italian language. Books on the beauties of Italy and on the skills and excellences that are all Italian and already known by many in Kuwait: art, design, furniture, cars, engines, football, fashion, food, photography, just to name a few. All in a journey through our Country and its extraordinary nature. We expect visitors to the Fair to come to see our booth and participate in the lectures that we have organized every day at the Fair on Italy and the protagonists of writing in our Country. The detailed schedule will be provided directly by the organizers in these days, but there will be more than 15 beautiful occasions for meeting and stimulation and discussion.

Also the Kuwait Airways, a partner in our organizational effort, will be present in our booth.

During the ten days in which the Fair takes place, at the Kuwait National Library opens (from 16th until 26th November, during the opening hours to the public), the exhibition “Dove il si`suona”, Italians and their language”, which tells the story of the Italian language over the centuries, its influencing many words in other languages and having absorbed words and idioms from other languages and other cultures. Explanatory panels with information and curiosities, as well as volumes of extraordinary importance in the history of the evolution of Italian, will be displayed in the exhibition.

On Thursday 17th November, the day after the inauguration of the Book Fair, an important Concert of Opera Arias of the most important Italian classical works will be held at the Salmiya Theater, Abdulhussein Abdulreda (at 7.00 p.m.): an hour of “Bel Canto d’Italia” Recital, to bring the public even closer to the extraordinary nature of the Italian language. During these 10 days, at the Kuwait National Library, we will also hold free Italian language classes for children and adults, through the agreement the Embassy made with “TALK”, a very successful Italian language provider in Kuwait.

Numerous restaurants of the main Hotels in Kuwait will celebrate these important events, by preparing special menus of the Italian gastronomic tradition, whose success is increasingly widespread in Kuwait during the week of Italian Cuisine in the world, which is taking place the same period. “Happy Italy this November in Kuwait!” Ambassador Carlo Baldocci