On September 11, 2026, the 5th National Book Festival “KitapTime – 2026” was held at the National Academic Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
During the event, welcoming remarks were delivered by Almaz Myrzakhmet, Head of the Book Industry Department at the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Nurtore Zhussip, a statesman and public figure; Marcel Fortuna Biato, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federative Republic of Brazil; Bauyrzhan Babazhanuly, Director of the Astana Branch of the Writers’ Union of Kazakhstan; and Yedige Kozhakhmet, founder of the “Bilte” literary agency. A ceremonial opening of the Serbian Literature Corner also took place.
As part of the “The Impact of a Single Book” session, Sveta Aitbaeva, Ardak Balazhanova, Miras Mukan, Nurbek Bekbau, and other prominent figures gave interviews and shared their opinions and reflections.
Akerke Zhakypbay, head of the “Senimen Bolashak” program, delivered an educational TedX-style presentation titled “Find Yourself—Return to Your Roots.”
The festival program also included cultural, educational, and innovative projects aimed at promoting a culture of reading: a book club, an open-interview platform, interactive meetings, discussions, and other events. The festival concluded with a theatrical performance by the Zhastar Theater and a concert program.
Sixty-seven students from the A. Kussayinov Eurasian Humanities Institute participated in this large-scale event, representing the following groups: SHT-25-02, SHT-25-06 (Curator B.D. Baizhumanova), SHT-25-04 (Curator A.A. Sultanova), KT-26-02 (Curator E. Sultan), who demonstrated their knowledge during the festival’s programs.
The students visited an exhibition and fair featuring the publishers “Folian,” “Kasym,” “Otbasy Khrestomatia,” “Abai Uyi,” as well as the “Paidaly Kitap” and “KitaraL” bookstores. They were particularly interested in the “Give a Book to the Village,” “Photo Zone,” and outdoor reading events, as well as the “Bookcrossing” initiative, during which participants exchanged books. Undoubtedly, such events help promote a culture of reading among young people and strengthen their intellectual potential.
As part of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan’s “Zerdeli Ult” initiative, faculty and students of the A. Kussayinov Eurasian Humanities Institute joined the “Reading Nation” marathon. Participants will read 15 books from the provided reading list under the “Reading University” category.
On behalf of the institute’s library, we wish all participants success and good luck!
