Egyptians hope to bag bargains at book fair as crisis bites

Thousands of Egyptian bibliophiles weave through a labyrinthine display of books, reviving an annual tradition at the Arab world's largest book fair, but this year it comes at a steep cost.

The 54th Cairo International Book Fair was overshadowed by a punishing economic crisis that has seen Egypt's currency, the pound, halve in value and prices skyrocket in the past year.

Organisers say the fair lured more than half a million visitors on its opening weekend alone -- but with publishing houses already struggling to cover the rising cost of printing, many fear this will not translate to sales.