STORY: Street bookstall in Beirut attracts book lovers with humble budget
DATELINE: June 18, 2023
LENGTH: 00:04:01
LOCATION: Beirut
CATEGORY: CULTURE/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the bookstall
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): MOHAMAD ISMAIL AL-MOGHRABI
3. various of the bookstall
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ABO AHMED, Visitor
5. various of the bookstall
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): ABO AHMED, Visitor
7. various of the bookstall

STORYLINE:

Book lovers with a humble budget can now stop by a bridge in Beirut to find a wide range of titles that suit every taste.

Facing financial hardship, Mohamad Ismail al-Moghrabi, an old Egyptian man and a former university professor, showcases books he collected to rent or sell, making money to survive.

Al-Moghrabi said people love his humble bookshop and many of them look for books that offer knowledge about the real Lebanon.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): MOHAMAD ISMAIL AL-MOGHRABI
"People accept this idea to a great extent. The population, an old man, a writer, a scientist, and a teacher, are all looking for a genuine Lebanon."

Abo Ahmed, a frequent visitor of Moghrabi's bookshop, said he searches for affordable books to relieve his loneliness, saying that a book is a loyal friend.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ABO AHMED, Visitor
"I come here because prices out there are too high, but here they have reasonable prices. The people who cannot afford to pay much come here. Thank God for everything. We cannot say more than that. The book is a loyal friend. The book is a loyal friend. It is honest and friendly."

Abo Ahmed said that though the technological revolution gave birth to various social platforms, there are still some people who are attracted to reading books.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): ABO AHMED, Visitor
"Some people do not even use social media, YouTube, and Facebook, and they are not attached to these platforms. Of course, they are advanced technologies, but some people do not come near social media because they know the book is their real friend."

Lebanon has been facing a steep financial crisis, plunging people into poverty and forcing them to focus their purchases on essential goods.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beirut.
(XHTV)