Ihab Maalouf, an avid reader in Lebanon, took his time looking for titles worth buying at the Beirut International and Arab Book Fair which opened this week amid the national economic crisis.

The 33-year-old man said careful picks can spare him from the regrets for spending 550,000 Lebanese pounds (about 27.5 U.S. dollars on the black market) on books, which is a fair chunk of his small salary.

Likewise, Rana Mhawej said she bought an English novel for 200,000 Lebanese pounds, a steep price compared to those before the local currency has lost more than 90 percent of its value.

"I feel very sad that the economic crisis may, at some point, prevent me from buying the books I want and deprive me of my favorite hobby of reading," Mhawej told Xinhua.

Consumers in Lebanon now have to limit their purchases to basic needs such as food, medicine, and education, as the worst economic and financial crisis in national history is plunging over 74 percent of the population into poverty, according to the United Nations.

The 63rd edition of the Beirut International and Arab Book Fair runs from Thursday to March 13, making a long-awaited return after a three-year suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Beirut port explosions which destroyed the Seaside Arena, the permanent location of the fair.

Exhibiting publishers, however, have voiced concerns for their business, with some saying that the demand for books has dropped by more than 70 percent since the economic crisis.

"We are very much concerned about people's capacity to afford books, which is why we are offering discounts by up to 60 percent at this fair to encourage people to read more," Sleiman Bakhti, owner and director of Lebanese publishing house Dar Nelson, told Xinhua.

Bakhti said that the Arab Cultural Club, which organized the fair, also offered booths at discounted prices to encourage publishers to put on sales.

"I don't expect much demand but my participation here is kind of an ad for my library and support for people to buy some books at good prices," Issa al-Ahwash, owner of Bissan publishing house and library.

Fadi Tamim, co-organizer of the event and its public relations officer, told Xinhua that less than half of the 10,000-square meter facility was restored from the explosions, forcing the fair to host only 90 publishers compared to over 200 in the past.

Still, the event signals that Lebanon is and will always be on the cultural map and that Beirut is capable of rising again, Tamim said.

To al-Ahwash, the event helps to preserve the cultural identity of the country while boosting dialogue and connection among people. "We must help each other during these times," he added. 

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