Manchester, United Kingdom – April 16, 2025
Today, Wednesday, April 16, 2025, the Dakok Support Center, in partnership with the Mawlawi Cultural Centre, hosted the first-ever Kurdish Book Fair in the United Kingdom, held in Manchester. This groundbreaking event marked a significant milestone in promoting Kurdish language, literature, and cultural identity within the diaspora.
Dedicated to the memory of the late journalist Wrya Hamekareem, the fair honored his legacy of free thought, cultural resistance, and dedication to the Kurdish cause. The event featured a diverse collection of Kurdish-language books, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, children’s literature, academic texts, and historical works. All books were offered at affordable, symbolic prices to ensure inclusive access to knowledge and encourage reading across all ages.
A community reading initiative was also announced, aimed at extending the impact of the fair beyond the event itself, fostering ongoing literary engagement among Kurdish youth and families. One of the fair’s longer-term goals is to collaborate with UK public libraries to create dedicated Kurdish-language sections, ensuring that Kurdish literature has a lasting and visible place in the country’s public learning spaces.
The smooth coordination and success of the fair were made possible by the active involvement of Dakok Support Center members, who played a vital role in organizing, hosting, and assisting visitors throughout the day. Their efforts helped ensure a welcoming and well-structured environment that reflected the spirit of community, education, and cultural pride.
