ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Bao Books Connects Literary Circuits Across North Africa

publication · 2026-05-01

In the Kram district of Tunis, there’s this cool spot called Bao Books, founded by Moez Akkari. It opened its doors in 2020 and doubles as a bookstore, design studio, and creative lab. Akkari has published two books and has showcased his work at international book fairs in Athens and Sharjah, where he noticed a lack of representation for Arab publishers. To tackle the pricey import costs for books from Algeria via Europe, he teamed up with Egyptian publisher Esmat and Nour Safouri to launch the Moving Forward project. This initiative aims to create a distribution network throughout SWANA countries and Europe, with hubs in Tunis and Cairo. Notable titles include "Effet de Serre" by Farah Khelil and "A Cup Of Tea With Fathy Mahmoud."

Key facts

  • Bao Books is located in the historic Kram district of Tunis.
  • Bao Books stands for Books as Art Objects.
  • Moez Akkari founded Bao Books and launched it on Instagram in 2020.
  • Akkari published two books under Bao Books and participated in book fairs in Athens and Sharjah.
  • Moving Forward project collaborates with Egyptian publisher Esmat, run by Nour Safouri.
  • Moving Forward will establish distribution hubs in Tunis and Cairo.
  • Farah Khelil's book 'Effet de Serre' is tied to the renovation of the municipal greenhouse at Jardin des Plantes in Belvédère, Tunis.
  • Abdullah al Saadi is a conceptual artist from the Arab world.
  • Fathy Mahmoud designed iconic statues in Cairo and Alexandria.
  • Yasmine El Meleegy created a book inside a box inspired by Fathy Mahmoud's cup.

Entities

Artists

  • Moez Akkari
  • Farah Khelil
  • Abdullah al Saadi
  • Fathy Mahmoud
  • Yasmine El Meleegy
  • Imen Zarrouk
  • Nour Safouri

Institutions

  • Bao Books
  • Esmat
  • Cairo Art Book Fair
  • Jardin des Plantes

Locations

  • Tunis
  • Tunisia
  • Kram
  • Athens
  • Greece
  • Sharjah
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Annaba
  • Algeria
  • Cairo
  • Egypt
  • Alexandria
  • Belvédère
  • North Africa
  • SWANA
  • Le Kram
  • Belvedere
  • Europe
  • South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA)
  • Global South

Sources