Abu Dhabi: Visitors have begun flocking to the 21st Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (Adibf), with not only book lovers but also schools browsing through the extensive variety of literary material and even taking part in various activities being offered at this year's fair.
"This is the first time we visit the book fair and I'm quite impressed by not just the amount of material that is available for teaching children with special needs but also the number of activities that are present that allow our students to enjoy their experience here by giving them a creative outlet through the workshops and other programmes here," Thora'a Saleh, an assistant at the Future Centre for Special Needs, said.
The annual event, which is held under the patronage of Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, will run from March 15 to 20 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec).
It is organised by Kitab, a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (Adach) and the Frankfurt Book Fair.
"This is the second year we participate at Adibf and we're very excited to be back. The fair is very professional and encourages exhibitors to return….that was also a contributing factor to our decision to have two book launches here," Charlotte Hamaoui, Managing Director of Turning Point Books, a publishing house based in Lebanon, said.
In addition to the 875 international and regional publishing houses displaying a wide variety of genres and materials, visitors this year can also enjoy the fair's extensive cultural and activities programme.
This includes author discussions, poetry recitals, performances as well as workshops aimed at children and teenagers that allow them to explore their creative side.
"This is our third year at the fair and we're always impressed by how well organised it is…this year, we've created a competition entitled ‘Green Emirates' with Masdar and are encouraging all the children who visit us to not only create pictures using our recyclable materials but also to participate in the competition, which highlights the importance of environment conservation," Sumayya Roben Andy, General Manager, Creative Kids Academy, said.
The competition is sponsored by Shaikha Hamda Bint Khalifa Bin Mohammad Bin Khalid Al Nahyan and Shaikha Maitha Bint Khalifa Bin Mohammad Bin Khalid Al Nahyan.
What: Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
When: March 15 to 20, 2011
Where: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
Timings: Saturday to Thursday 9am - 10pm and Friday: 4pm - 10pm
For further information please visit www.adbookfair.com
