Logos Hope: The Largest Floating Book Fair in the World
This is the largest floating book fair in the world! The Logos Hope, an old passenger ferry that was converted into a paradise for bibliophiles, holds more than 5,000 books and sails around the world, docking in ports for two weeks at a time.
Every year, approximately one million book lovers board the Logos Hope, making it the most significant floating book fair in the world. For many visitors, it's their first chance to access a broad range of literature that they may not have had the opportunity to read before. Currently docked in Basra, Iraq, the Logos Hope has made its first-ever visit to Iraq.
Ali Abdel Karim, an English professor, says, ”To be honest, I found a lot of different scientific books. As an academic, I am an English language professor, I found modern books, different from the traditional and older books that we have. The books target different age groups, and especially children. There are a variety of disciplines, on health, medicine, geography. In general, most of the disciplines.”
Originally built in 1973, the Logos Hope used to take tourists around the Faroe Islands. However, in 2004, the faith-based organization Gute Bücher für Alle bought the ship and converted it into a floating book fair. Since then, the ship has visited 480 ports in 150 countries, welcomed 49 million visitors, and sold more than 10 million books. The ship's crew comprises volunteers from 60 nationalities, making it an international endeavor.
Apart from selling books, Logos Hope's volunteers also engage in community outreach programs promoting literacy and education. This approach ensures that their impact goes beyond just selling books and helps to create a lasting impact on the communities they visit.
While the global literacy rate is 87%, regional variations exist, and women are often excluded from elementary education. The Logos Hope's mission to promote literacy and education is crucial in addressing these disparities and ensuring everyone can access literature.
