Historic First Kurdish Book Fair Launched in the United Kingdom

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Manchester, UK – April 2025 — The United Kingdom has witnessed a cultural milestone with the launch of the first-ever Kurdish Book Fair, organised by the Dakok Support Centre in collaboration with the Mawlawi Centre in Manchester.

The exhibition, which opened to strong attendance and warm community support, showcases nearly 1,000 Kurdish-language book titles, offering a diverse range of literature to Kurdish readers and the wider public. The event is dedicated to the memory of Wrya Abdulkarim, a respected Kurdish journalist known for his contributions to Kurdish cultural life.

Prominent organisers and community leaders including Mr Jabar Dukani, Mr Omar Salih, and other key figures from the Dakok and Mawlawi centres, were recognised for their efforts in bringing the event to life. Their vision, organisers say, was to revive a culture of reading among Kurds living in the diaspora and to help preserve and promote the Kurdish language.

“This is more than a book fair—it’s a cultural turning point,” said one of the event organisers. “Our hope is to reconnect the younger generation with their language and heritage through literature.” Said Dakok Manager in Manchester

The event is hosted at the Mawlawi Centre, which has been praised for its continued support of cultural initiatives within the Kurdish community. Organisers have announced that the book fair will tour other cities across the UK to make the event accessible to the broader Kurdish diaspora.

Several public figures and community members, including Kurdish youth, visited the fair and shared their enthusiasm. Many expressed hope that such events would become a regular occurrence in European cities where large Kurdish populations reside.

Kurdfile Media was on site to capture reactions and statements from attendees, who called the exhibition “a vital step toward reclaiming and celebrating Kurdish identity through language.”

The fair also served as a memorial tribute. “We dedicate this event to the late Wrya Abdulkarim. May his soul rest in peace,” one organiser said during the opening remarks.

As the UK Kurdish community continues to grow, cultural events like the Kurdish Book Fair are being seen as essential efforts to bridge generations and preserve heritage in an ever-globalising world.