Every living person will have one story to tell. Their own story. Certain great writers are capable of translating it to words for the bibliophiles to read and experience. Each story has a lot of takeaways — tales of friendship, cooperation, empathy and common hatred to toxicity.
What better place to listen to stories and read them besides a book fair. We have wandered through the aisles of countless book fairs, admiring the stacked books, fingering their glossy spines and soaking in the smell of crisp new pages.
This year, the 40th Sharjah International Book Fair opens from Nov. 3 to 13th under the theme ‘There’s always a right book.’ What a poignant line to describe a book fair that showcases millions of titles across a 10,000 sqm area. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, SIBF 2021 will host 85 writers and intellectuals who will lead the fair’s 970 events and activities.
There are geniuses like Abdulrazak Gurnah, the 2021 Nobel Prize winner in literature, the creator of Money Heist, Alex Pina, the winner of the Jnanpith Prize, Amitav Ghosh and the author of The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris Gardner. Over 1,500 publishers from 83 countries will also attend the book fair — the highest number since its inception in 1982. SIBF is one of the largest book fairs in the world and it’s happening right in my region!
Nothing easy about being an author
UAE is not only about the biggest, brightest or the best! UAE is all about making the impossible possible, even for individuals at very personal levels. In its very essence, there is a thirst for growth through knowledge, reading and writing! It would be any book launching author’s dream launch-pad!
It’s a moment of tremendous pride and honour for a debutante like me to launch my book, ‘Children of the Sun, Sand and Seas’ at the prestigious Sharjah International Book Fair, 2021. The concept of this book hovers around the real-life experiences of second-generation UAE expats like me.
We grew up in this home called UAE and continue to build our lives here. We are the children of this sun, sand and seas. For bookworms like me, the thrill of getting published and launching a book at the Sharjah International Book Fair is epic, especially when UAE is celebrating its 50th year and hosting the greatest showcase of human brilliance and achievement, Expo 2020 Dubai.
Every change in your life is accompanied by a life lesson. As the saying goes, there is always light at the end of a long dark tunnel. The book release at SIBF felt like a tiny bird rose up and suddenly found its wings to fly. Every tired, sore cell in the bodywork towards streamlining the flight to soar the book skies.
It’s a humbling moment to experience the love and support of family and friends at the very core of a debut writer’s dream. The true nature of the people around you is revealed at challenging times as well as soaring times. Your closest group of people treat you just the same, no matter what. Your intuition was always right. Keep them close to you. Look out for the others, who flip like an eel.
Every story a storyteller tells is a piece of her soul. It will have make-believe in it, hope in it and much more than the sum of all the factors that surround the individual lives! For all aspiring writers, there is just one quote from an unknown source, “Even the greatest was once a beginner. Don’t be afraid to take that first step.”
Feby Imthias is a writer based in Abu Dhabi and author of the book, Children of the Sun, Sand and Seas. Twitter: @Feby_Imthias
