The 35th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair to open
The 35th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair will open in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Sunday. At the ADNEC exhibition centre, visitors will see more than 1,500 publisher stands and books in more than a dozen languages, while discussions and talks will take place across six stages. The fair will run until Friday, The National reports.
From the Islamic Book Fair
The event’s history dates back to 1981, when the Islamic Book Fair was launched at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation. Its creation is linked to the vision of the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, for developing the country’s cultural life.
Saeed Al Tunaiji, executive director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre and also the fair’s director, recalls that the first event effectively took place in a tent at the Cultural Foundation. One of the main challenges was persuading prominent Arab publishing houses to come to Abu Dhabi. At the time, Egypt, Lebanon and Iraq were important centres of Arab book publishing.
Once Arab publishers became regular participants, organisers focused on developing Emirati publishing houses and building their ties with the international book industry. An agreement with the Frankfurt Book Fair, concluded in 2006, provided for jointly holding the event in Abu Dhabi in 2007–2013. The partnership expanded rights trading and professional meetings between publishers, agents and publishing rights specialists.
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Participants and programme
This year, 95 countries are taking part in the fair. Publishers from Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Cuba will be represented at the event for the first time.
The fair will also serve as a venue for approximately 20 local, Arab and international literary awards. Among them is the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, which is holding its 20th ceremony this year.
In addition, organisers have launched the annual Emirati Pioneers initiative to honour leading Emirati figures in literature and culture. The first person to be recognised under the initiative will be writer Mohammed Al Murr, chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation. Separate programmes will be available at the fair for children and young people, while attendance at the public programme will be free with online registration.
