Montreal Celebrates World Arabic Language Day with Cultural Event “Our Beautiful Language”

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published January 8, 2026

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On the occasion of World Arabic Language Day, the Montreal Arabic Book Fair, sponsored by the Society of Public and Integration Services for Immigrants (SPDI), is organizing a cultural event titled “Our Beautiful Language” on January 11, from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at 6767 Côte-des-Neiges in Montreal.

The event aims to celebrate the beauty of the Arabic language and its cultural and civilizational role, bringing together writers, intellectuals, and members of the Arab cultural community in the diaspora through a diverse program that blends knowledge, creativity, and entertainment.

The first part of the event is dedicated to children, featuring an interactive reading session designed to foster a love for the Arabic language, followed by a cultural competition encouraging participation and self-expression. A special children’s corner titled “I Love My Language” will offer educational and fun activities, including reading a short story and presenting a simple summary, as well as an Arabic letter game that allows children to form correct words in an engaging way, with prizes awarded to participants.

This segment aims to strengthen children’s connection to the Arabic language, build self-confidence, and encourage creativity in an interactive learning environment.

The second part of the program includes an intellectual panel discussion titled “Challenges Facing the Arabic Language in the Diaspora”, addressing the status of Arabic outside the Arab world, the challenges facing younger generations, and ways to preserve and strengthen the language in multicultural societies. The panel features poet and critic Hassan Abdullah, poet Walid Hadid, Arabic calligraphy artist Yasser Watad, and is moderated with participation by Dr. Wafaa Marwa.

The event concludes with a poetry evening featuring Asaf Jawid, Ihab Latif, Tharaa Al-Jaddi, John Karam, Nazem Assaf, and Nora Akar, presented by poet and host Saeed Al-Hajj.

Alongside the event, a small book exhibition will be held, showcasing a variety of Arabic publications including poetry, short stories, novels, books on the Arabic language, and children’s literature. The exhibition aims to encourage reading in Arabic, introduce new publications, and support Arab authors in the diaspora.

The “Our Beautiful Language” gathering highlights the importance of Arabic as a shared cultural bridge and underscores the role of community initiatives in preserving the language and passing it on to future generations, particularly within immigrant communities.