With the hugely successful Sharjah International Book Fair having come to a close, figures show nearly two and a half million people walked through the doors of the Expo Centre and the vast majority of them walked away with books – many with shopping trolleys full to the brim. The theme for the event was ‘Read More’. Not a complicated message, not a clever play on words, just simple, straight to the point, sound advice. Having been a panellist on one of the sessions, I saw first-hand the hordes of schoolchildren who had descended en masse to look for their favourite titles as well as explore new territory with unknown authors. They were excited to be there, they were enthusiastic in their outlook and they were eager to read.

Festivals and book fairs can introduce an entirely new audience to literature. First time visitors become entranced with the books, their authors and their stories, but this strange combination of a privilege and a right has not always been available.

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is just a few months away and our primary goal is to encourage reading not just in the young, but to inspire all ages to enjoy the written word. Literacy rates in the Middle East have changed dramatically over a single generation. More than 90% of people in the region between 15 - 24 are literate but for the most part, their elders are still at a literary loss – less than a third of those over 65 can read. It is an unqualified success for our children but an ongoing tragedy for our parents.

In the Emirates, we have educational programmes that are a credit to our community; we have the UAE 2016 Year of Reading, we have public and private incentives that give us every reason to spend more time with our books and we have accessibility and opportunity.

So, do these festivals and fairs actually work? The word ‘festival’, according to our trusted friend, the Merriam-Webster English Dictionary is a ‘celebration, carnival or gala’ and its roots come from the Latin ‘festum’ meaning feast. What definition could be more apt for a literature festival? It is a fairground for children, with writers for waltzers, stories for slides and candy floss made out of fiction. As for the adults, there is nothing wrong with being a literary glutton at a feast like this. Yes – they do work.

There is a unique atmosphere that accompanies a literary festival. It is not exactly the hushed tones of a traditional library nor the teenage frenzy at an X Factor concert. It is a sound rather than a noise. A sound that reflects information, entertainment, participation and anticipation. The prospect of meeting a writing idol or gaining an insight from a revered historian is reason enough for avid readers to attend a fair or festival, but it is often the youngest members of the audiences who are most in awe of the experience.

At many book fairs, it is not only the readers who benefit. As well as being an intense weekend for the book-buying public, the Frankfurt Book Fair is also the world’s largest trade fair for publishing companies, who ultimately provide the material we are encouraged to read. And it is not a self-congratulatory, back-patting exercise; analysis is scrutinised, trends are predicted, successes are hailed, lessons are learned and allegiances and alliances are formed. This year, the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation outlined a partnership to promote global media, technology, art and design opportunities.

Back on home soil, I believe Sharjah’s book fair and Dubai’s own literature festival – among others – have a great opportunity, and an even greater responsibility, to bring the magic of reading to every person in every home that we can. And it is vital to our future that we succeed. As Steven Spielberg said: “Only a generation of readers will spawn a generation of writers.”

Returning to our Latin roots to finish off, several books for young readers have even been translated into what is unfairly and inaccurately called the ‘dead language’. Among my favourite titles are: Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone… Harrius Potter Et Philosophi Lapis, Winnie the Pooh… Winnie Ille Pu, Alice In Wonderland… Alicia in Terra Mirabili, and surely, best of all, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid… Commentarii De Inepto Puero.

Young readers: Carpe diem.

 

Isobel Abulhoul is OBE, CEO and trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation and director of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.