International consultant Agnès Debiage talks with Hassan El Kamoun about his long term vision for Morocco’s Booksellers Association and its efforts to support booksellers, to modernize the sector, and to create sustainable tools for the entire book industry.

By Agnès Debiage

Hassan El Kamoun is everywhere. As the spokesperson of Morocco’s booksellers and the Moroccan Independent Booksellers Association (ALIM)  , he can be found in Morocco but also in France, Belgium, or the United Arab Emirates, tirelessly mobilizing, convincing, and drawing attention to the challenges of the book trade. His commitment is palpable. Equally important is his vision, which unites ALIM’s team, allowing it to think big, and successfully carry out large-scale professional projects on behalf of Moroccan bookselling.

I first met Hassan El Kamoun in 2016 at the Paris Book Fair. He had founded the Librairie de Paris in El Jadida, and I had opened several bookshops in Egypt. He was already championing the idea of ALIM and spoke about it with passion, even though the association didn’t yet exist. We understood each other immediately. We shared the same language of sincerity, professional solidarity, and commitment. Ten years later, each of us has continued on our own path, but we have maintained the same frankness, mutual trust, and unwavering standards in our dedication to books and the bookselling profession.

In less than 10 years ALIM has established itself as a reference recognized by all. How does ALIM help Moroccan booksellers?

The ALIM was founded in 2018 by a group of committed Moroccan booksellers. I was one of the founders and am now its vice president. We have around 45 members which is a relatively stable number representing a significant portion of the country’s professional bookshop network.

We are currently working on several major projects. First, there is the seal of approval project for Moroccan bookshops, which I consider a major step for the profession. We are also developing the Libraires du Maroc platform, a marketplace that allows readers to place orders or check book availability near them. Finally, we are leading another project supported by the Ministry of Culture: a database dedicated to Moroccan editorial production.

These are structural projects that fit into a long-term vision. The goal is to modernize the sector, support booksellers, and create sustainable tools for the entire book industry.

Are these projects actively supported by Morocco’s Ministry of Culture?

Yes, and it is one of our greatest achievements in recent years. We have had extensive discussions with the Ministry of Culture about our projects and their goals. We emphasized the need to train booksellers, support their development, and implement lasting tools capable of sustainably transforming the sector.

The Ministry has recognized that ALIM is doing genuine structural work. Today, it considers us a partner in shaping the future of bookselling in Morocco and includes us in all discussions that concern the book sector. This recognition is important because it allows us to move forward more effectively and secure concrete support for our projects.

Are your network of members spread across Morocco?

Our members are in almost all major cities in the kingdom—Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Tetouan, Marrakech, Agadir, El Jadida, and several others. This presence gives us a strong understanding of local realities. We also see a growing number of booksellers wanting to join the association, driven by the results achieved in recent years and the projects we’re implementing.

One of our major focal points today is the digital transformation of Moroccan bookshops. We are collaborating with Elesoft, a Belgian service provider, now based in Morocco, to help booksellers implement management software, databases, and websites. Our ambition is to enable Moroccan bookshops to take a new step in their professionalization.

Today, our association is recognized not only in Morocco but across the African continent, and even in Europe. We are regularly invited to talk about our experience because many professionals see Morocco’s model as an interesting example of structuring in the sector.

I remember in particular the professional events organized in France when Morocco was the guest of honor in 2025 at the Festival du Livre de Paris . We had the opportunity to present ALIM’s initiatives for nearly half an hour. The interest generated by our experience was significant. This shows that it is possible, even with limited resources, to gradually build a genuine bookshop development policy.

How is the digital modernization project progressing?

It’s going well. Several bookshops are already using the management software we selected, while others are in the process of installing it. Our provider supports booksellers on both technical aspects and training. The goal is not just to install software but to enable booksellers to better manage their inventory, orders, customer relations, and online presence. Today, several establishments have already taken this step and serve as laboratories. Others are waiting to see the final results before committing.

One of the most interesting aspects is data sharing. Some bookshops already have extensive bibliographic databases, particularly for Arabic and French books. They have agreed to make part of these resources available to the project, which will greatly facilitate the work of future users.

How is this project funded?

The Ministry of Culture plays an essential role. It subsidizes various aspects of bookshop modernization: software, training, technical support, organizing the layout of a bookshop, and even book acquisitions. The implementation of digital tools is also one of the criteria for the future labeling program. A bookshop seeking certification must have an efficient information system, including management software, a database, and a website. Today, our relationship with the Ministry is excellent. Our proposals are heard, and several of our projects receive genuine institutional support.

How does the Libraires du Maroc platform work?

Currently 17 bookshops are on the platform. All are integrated into the project, though their activity levels vary. Two or three bookshops are already using it very effectively. Others still face technical difficulties, particularly with the automatic and daily updating of inventory. These issues are directly related to the management software used in some structures.

Our goal is to reach a point where all 17 bookshops can update the platform daily so that the information available is perfectly reliable for readers. It serves as a common showcase for Moroccan booksellers and allows readers to quickly locate where a book is available.

How would you rate the success of the initiative at this point?

It’s positive, even if we still have a lot of work ahead. Some bookshops are already making sales through the platform. For example, Librairie Livre Moi regularly benefits from orders generated by this system. But we are convinced that the potential is much greater. The platform needs to be better known to the general public. We need to invest in communication, SEO, online advertising, and reader outreach.

At our next general assembly, we’ll talk about the details and challenges such as how we make the platform even more efficient; how we can increase its visibility or how to convince more booksellers to use it fully.

You also mentioned challenges related books in to Arabic?

This is probably the biggest project ahead of us. Currently, the platform operates mainly with French bibliographic data. When we launched the project with our technical partner, we thought a second phase would allow us to integrate Arabic books. Unfortunately, the necessary developments proved complex, and the provider explained that the Moroccan market alone did not represent a large enough volume to justify such a significant investment.

So, we chose a different strategy. We will develop our own database dedicated to Arabic books. We already have an initial foundation of about 70,000 titles, drawn from existing databases of Lebanese, Egyptian, Tunisian, and Moroccan works. The goal is to significantly expand this tool.

The Ministry of Culture granted us a subsidy of approximately €30,000 to launch this work, with the assurance that additional support could be considered in the future. We already met with Moroccan publishers to ask them to provide their catalogs. If everything goes to plan, we should have a solid database within about a year.

Rabat was named World Book Capital this year at the same time that the ALIM announced a bookshop seal of approval program. How did this project come about?

When Rabat was designated World Book Capital by UNESCO, we immediately saw it as an exceptional opportunity for Morocco’s entire book ecosystem. We organized numerous meetings with various stakeholders in the book industry, particularly with the Federation of Cultural and Creative Industries (FICC), to reflect on this event’s legacy.

Our belief was simple: such international recognition should not be limited to a series of cultural events. It had to lead to structural projects capable of producing lasting effects. We presented several proposals to the Ministry of Culture, including the bookshop seal of approval project and the creation of a national database for Moroccan editorial production. The Ministry considered these two projects particularly relevant and decided to support them financially.

For us, this is an important recognition because it means that public authorities now consider bookselling an essential link in cultural development.

How will this seal of approval process work?

We’ve developed a very precise system. ALIM had already done a lot of work on the subject even before the official announcement. We had defined criteria, thought about objectives, and imagined implementation methods. The Ministry of Culture validated this approach and gave us a central role in its execution. This is a crucial point: the Ministry clearly indicated that we were the project leaders. It supports us administratively and financially, but it is the association that designs and oversees the project.

The first phase will focus on bookshops in Rabat as part of the Rabat World Book Capital program. Then, the system will gradually expand to other cities throughout the event, which runs from April to April. Our ambition is to permanently establish this seal of approval system within Morocco’s professional landscape.

What are the main criteria for the system?

We defined eleven main criteria, and we recently added a twelfth focused on digital aspects. Among the requirements is the existence of a physical bookshop. The establishment must have a sales space of at least 60 square meters and be open at least six days a week. The bookshop must also have at least two years of accounting activity. We want to ensure that the seal of approval distinguishes established, long-term professional structures.

We have also incorporated a significant cultural dimension. For a bookshop to receive the seal of approval it must actively participate in the cultural life of its area by regularly organizing meetings, book signings, debates, book presentations, and activities for young readers.

Finally, we added a criteria related to information systems. Today, a modern bookshop must be equipped with management software, a database, and a website. This criteria clearly aims to encourage the modernization and professionalization of the sector.

Has the digital dimension become essential?

Absolutely. We are convinced that the future of bookselling also depends on its ability to adapt to new practices. Digital tools do not replace physical bookshops, but they have become essential for better inventory management, improving book visibility, communicating with readers, and participating in collective projects like the Libraires du Maroc platform. We want to support booksellers in this transition, that they not have to face these changes alone.

Will bookshops with a seal of approval receive financial support?

Yes, this is one of the most important aspects of the project. The Ministry of Culture has indicated that it plans to give financial support to these bookshops. The amounts discussed are around €20,000 per year per establishment. The idea is to support booksellers who invest in the quality of what they have to offer, whether cultural programming, or modernizing their system. This aid can help finance equipment, renovations, cultural activities, or digital tools. It sends a strong signal to the profession.

Would you say that relations between ALIM and the Ministry of Culture have evolved in recent years?

Absolutely. Over time, we have built a relationship of trust. Today, when we present a project, it is taken seriously, and when the Ministry believes it meets a real need in the sector, it will be taken on board. I think this evolution is the result of the work accomplished by the association since its creation. We’ve demonstrated our ability to carry out concrete projects, achieve results, and constructively represent booksellers’ concerns.

You also mentioned the creation of a national database. Why is this project so important?

Because it addresses a fundamental need. Currently, Morocco lacks a comprehensive tool to catalog all national editorial production. This situation complicates the work of booksellers, librarians, researchers, and sometimes even publishers.

Our goal is to build a national database that gathers bibliographic information on Moroccan production. This project is complementary to the Libraires du Maroc platform. The platform improves the visibility and commercialization of books, while the database aims to structure bibliographic information. It’s an ambitious project, but we see it as a strategic investment for the future of books in Morocco.

Despite this progress, do you still see areas for improvement?

Of course. When working on projects of this scale, there are always uncertainties. One of them concerns the continuity of public policies. Today, we benefit from the support of a Ministry that believes in these projects and backs them. But government teams can change.

What is reassuring to us is that the projects are now well-identified and meet real needs in the sector. Our work is precisely to ensure they are long-lasting and outlast any changes in political leadership. This is why we are trying to build solid, useful tools recognized by all professionals.

Have you taken stock of your progress during these eight years of work?

We’re proud of what we have accomplished together. When ALIM was created in 2018, our primary goal was to unite booksellers and give them a voice. Today, we have structural projects, we work with public authorities, we are recognized internationally, and we actively participate in transforming the sector.

Of course, much remains to be done. But we laid solid foundations. Our ambition remains the same: to build a stronger, more modern, and better-recognized network of bookshops, serving readers, editorial creation, and Moroccan cultural life.

Agnès Debiage is an international consultant specializing in African book ecosystems. For over 20 years, she has worked with publishing professionals across the continent, designing high-impact programmes that strengthen professional skills, support the structuring of the book value chain and increase the international visibility of African initiatives. This article first appeared in French on the site ActuaLitté and with permission has been translated and edited for clarity.