Youm7 learned from informed sources inside Egyptian General Book AuthorityDr. Khaled Abu Al-Lail, Vice Chairman and Acting Chairman of the Authority, left his office today for the last time, after the end of his secondment period and no official decision to renew it has been issued yet.
The sources said that before leaving, Abu Al-Lail made sure to shake hands with the authority’s employees and bid farewell to his colleagues. He also collected his personal belongings and papers from the office, ending his period of responsibility for managing the authority’s work, which had continued since the position of president became vacant. Abu Al-Lail’s departure comes at a time when the cultural community is awaiting the issuance of the Ministry of Culture’s decision regarding his appointment New head of the authority The Egyptian General Book Authority, one of the largest cultural institutions affiliated with the Ministry.
Several nominations were presented to the Minister of Culture for the position of Chairman of the Authority
According to informed sources, the coming hours may witness the resolution of the file and the announcement of the name of the new president, amid the circulation of a number of names within cultural circles, including Dr. Sherif Shaheen, the former head of the General Authority of the National Library and Archives, and the poet Ahmed Al-Shahawi, editor-in-chief of “Ebdaa” magazine. The name of Dr. Ahmed Megahed, former president of the Egyptian General Book Authority and executive director of the Cairo International Book Fair in its last session, is also mentioned in the list of names proposed for the position.
The Egyptian General Book Authority has been run during the past months under a caretaker system, since the position of president became vacant, after the resignation of Dr. Ahmed Bahi El-Din Al-Assasi from his position last August, awaiting the issuance of a final decision regarding the new leadership that will manage the publishing files and major cultural projects, most notably the preparations for the next session of the Cairo International Book Fair.
