Rabat – To inaugurate its new Instagram page and celebrate the opening of the Book Fair in Paris, where Morocco is this year’s guest of honor, the French embassy in Morocco launched a selfie contest to reinforce a culture of reading.
The embassy is inviting Moroccans to take pictures of themselves reading a book they treasure. “The goal is to illustrate through this image a value that is associated with reading,” explained the embassy in a statement. The pictures can be sent via the embassy’s Facebook account or on Instagram with the hashtag #lireCtendance.
On April 3, 20 photos will be selected and posted on the Instagram account of the French Embassy. The pictures that receive the most likes will be awarded prizes.
The person with the most liked picture will win a stay at the Minzah Hotel in Tangier from May 6 to 7 to attend the 21st Tangier International Book and Art Exhibition. Second place winner will be awarded a meeting with Leïla Slimani during her visit to Morocco in July and the third place winner will be invited to the residence of the French ambassador in Rabat to celebrate the French national holiday, July 14.
Pictures placing from 4th-10th will win a book of their choice from among the books being presented this year at the Paris Book Fair.
Several French and Moroccan authors have already participated in the competition. Leïla Slimani took a picture of herself reading Fatima Mernissi’s Dreams of Women. Director Hicham Lasri submitted a photo with Frank Miller’s book Big Damn Sin City, and French Poet Gaël Faye took a selfie reading one of his favorite books.
