Dubai: A dizzying variety of books from around the world are on sale at the Sharjah International Book Fair.
The annual fair was opened yesterday by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, at the Expo Centre.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr Shaikh Sultan encouraged UAE and regional publishing houses to keep up with technology and find innovative ways to encourage people to read books — digital or paper. This year’s number of participating countries has almost doubled to 62, the highest figure in the fair’s 31 editions so far.
More than 920 publishers from around the world are offering countless books in several languages, many of them at special fair discounts.
Countries exhibiting for the first time include Spain, Australia, Italy, Poland, Thailand, Romania, Serbia, China, Canada, Nigeria, and Greece.
Also new this year is an additional hall and extra parking spaces behind the Expo Centre.
Most English and foreign language (non-Arabic) books are located in the new Hall 5.
Virtually every genre, from cooking to current affairs, is represented at the 10-day fair.
One of the many new launches at the fair is the Autism Encyclopaedia, published by the Dubai Autism Centre. Available in Arabic and English, the 162-pager has been touted as a must-have guide for people caring for autism patients.
The book is on offer for a special fair price of Dh125 and is expected to hit UAE stores by the end of this month.
In a statement, Mohammad Al Emadi, Director General and Board Member of the Dubai Autism Centre, said: “We hope that readers will find answers to all their questions about this most puzzling and mysterious disorder. We also trust that it will be a reference to all those working in the field of autism and to the parents, as it provides information, advice and instructions on how to overcome obstacles and tackle the daily challenges of taking care of a child with autism.”
Besides book stalls, the event is also hosting award-winning authors and a variety of conferences and activities.
Fans of writers like Graffin Aslar, Robert Lacey, William Hamilton, and Arundhati Roy are expected to come out in force during planned book-signing ceremonies.
The authors and guest speakers will hold mini-conferences on a variety of topics, like citizen journalism and social media.
This edition, the Country of Focus is Pakistan, with 20 Pakistani publishers participating for the first time.
Pakistan’s ambassador to the UAE, Jameel Ahmad Khan, said at the Pakistan pavilion there that the Sharjah government is encouraging leading Pakistani publishers to translate their titles into Arabic under a new project.
“The steps taken by His Highness Shaikh Sultan are landmarks in the current Middle East history. Under his directives, the Sharjah government will subsidise the cost of translation of Pakistani books into Arabic in all kinds of genres,” Khan said.
“It’s a great initiative of His Highness and I firmly believe this will help the youth develop a habit of reading,” he added.
Khan also took the opportunity to congratulate Babar Maqbool, a Pakistani author who received the fair’s Best Foreign Children’s Book Award for his book, Stories of the Prophets (Maqbool Books, Pakistan).
“I don’t think children are bored of books in today’s Facebook and digital world. You can still interest them with great illustrations and easy language,” Maqbool said.
Also being held on the fair’s sidelines is a Celebrations Hall, Book Forum, Literary Forum, Cultural Hall, and Thought Hall. In addition to that, 200 children’s events have been planned.
The activities also include a culinary programme featuring 25 events — dedicated to Indian, Pakistani, Gulf, and Middle Eastern cuisines — presented by chefs like Nirmeen Hano, Gerard Baker, and Ayesha Al Tamimi.
Details of all events and activities at the fair can be found on www.facebook.com/SharjahInternationalBookFair
