Sharjah: His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, Tuesday urged Arabs to take greater interest in matters of literature and culture.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 29th Sharjah International Book Fair, which runs from October 26 to November 6, Dr Shaikh Sultan explained that he is currently working on expanding the availability of works of UAE and Arab writers and poets at international fora.
"I went to the National Museum in London and saw visitors from all nations but I did not see a single Arab there. I also saw a lack of presence of Arab writers when I visited the Frankfurt Book Fair and did not find Arab authors. That is when I decided to have 87 book titles translated from Arabic into German," said Dr Shaikh Sultan.
Dr Shaikh Sultan spoke of how Sharjah's book fair had been instrumental in Sharjah becoming the Unesco cultural capital of the Arab world in 1998. There had always been a conscious effort during the implementation of projects in the emirate to reflect its culture, he added.
During his speech, Dr Shaikh Sultan also stressed the importance of the Sharjah Cultural Projects, an initiative focusing on institutions that cater to poets, writers, actors and artists. Sharjah Theatre Days and the Sharjah Biennial are some of the establishments that work under the umbrella of the cultural project.
"The Sharjah Cultural Project was made to encourage intellectuals to produce in the field of theatre, poems and novels, and also to make them internationally famous. This project is not local but a global one, and through it I want to introduce Sharjah Heritage Days to countries in Europe."
During the inauguration of the Book Fair, Dr Shaikh Sultan presented his new book titled, Hadeeth Al Thakera (Memoirs of a Nation). The English version of his previous book, Sard Al Zatt, was also launched yesterday and provides readers with an insight into the local and Arab challenges prior to the country's formation.
