Amman, Sept. 29 (Petra) -- Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation (AHSF) CEO Valentina Qussisiya announced at the close of the seventh edition of the Reading Marathon on Tuesday evening that 32,160,396 pages from a variety of books across different fields of knowledge had been read by participants from all governorates of the Kingdom.

According to a foundation statement, more than 3 million male and female readers took part in this year's marathon, organized by Shoman under the slogan "Jordan Reads," with Kuwaiti novelist Buthaina Al-Essa as this year's guest of honor.

The Reading Marathon event coincided with National Reading Day, marked annually on Sept. 29, and with the launch of the National Reading Strategy adopted by the Culture, Youth, and Sports Committee at the Senate under the title "Toward a Reading Jordan."

The marathon aims to encourage reading, create small reading communities, and introduce readers to new books in an atmosphere filled with learning and enjoyment, and to entrench the role of the Abdul Hameed Shoman Library in creating culture, spreading the act of reading, and making it part of its patrons' lives.

Qussisiya valued the efforts of the Shoman Library's key partners, who contributed significantly to the success of the marathon events: the Ministries of Education and Human Resource Development, Youth, and Culture, and the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM).

She affirmed that the foundation was keen this year to activate and enhance the participation of persons with disabilities in the marathon by preparing special places for them and providing Braille devices for the visually impaired, noting that Abdul Hameed Shoman libraries are continuously equipped for use by this group.

In addition to reading various books, the marathon includes hosting numerous writers, intellectuals, and cultural pioneers to talk about culture and enhance cultural action in the Kingdom through the Marathon Studio, established four years ago, which broadcasts the marathon and its accompanying events live from the foundation's center in Jabal Amman.

//Petra// AF

29/09/2026 22:34:15