When talking about Beirut, images of violence, riots and bombings are usually what comes to mind. Or, at the other extreme, one may think of a nightlife that’s unparalleled in the region - of dazzlingly beautiful young women dancing on tables while drinks are flowing and speakers are pumping loud music.

The Lebanese capital is described as the beating heart of culture in the region to rarely. But it’s a place that hosts more than 600 publishing houses, myriad libraries, bookshops and cultural centers. It’s also a haven of freedom for the media and for Arab intellectuals.

So it somehow makes sense that in 2007, Beirut was designated World Book Capital for 2009 by UNESCO, the International Publishers Association (IPA), the International Booksellers Federation (IBF) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). Since 2001, the festival has been organized annually in one major city. Beirut is the ninth to be crowned as such, in the footsteps of Madrid (2001), Alexandria (2002), New Delhi (2003), Antwerp (2004), Montreal (2005), Turin (2006), Bogotá (2007) and Amsterdam (2008).

Strings attached. Beirut now sits at the heart of an impressive number of events promoting books and reading to the widest possible audience - all in a country where, unfortunately, reading is becoming less and less of a habit.

Ambitious plans are underway: 250 projects have already been approved, and this number is expected to reach a staggering 300 in the coming days - or almost one event a day throughout a whole year. “We’ve kept the project submission form open on our Web site in order to keep the dynamic alive,” says general coordinator Leila Barakat. “Anyone can submit a proposal, from individuals to publishing houses, embassies, writers and so on.”

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