Amin Abbas

ABU DHABI: The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) welcomed thousands of visitors over its seven-day run in May, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).

Organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), the annual fair saw a notable increase in sales of books and publications in various fields of knowledge and culture, as publishing houses participating in the event gave positive feedback of their experience and the large volume of sales completed.  The event welcomed thousands of students from schools across the country, who brought energy and enthusiasm.

This year’s edition of the fair boasted a busy agenda of events that stood out for their groundbreaking and serious content, including a professional programme for publishers and workshops to hone creative writing skills. A significant increase was noted in the number of publishers participating in the event, with 1,130 publishers from over 80 countries offering a large selection of literature appealing to diverse audiences. More than 650 cultural, artistic and educational events took place across the week, featuring such distinguished international guests as Nobel laureates and winners of the Booker and Pulitzer Prizes, alongside renowned Arab intellectual and creative minds.

ADIBF 2022 chose the influential Egyptian writer and intellectual Taha Hussein – known as the ‘Dean of Arabic Literature’ – as its ‘Personality of the Year’, highlighting the renowned author and critic’s life and work during the seven-day event, and introducing his work to a new generation.

The Federal Republic of Germany was hosted as the Guest of Honour, with renowned German publishers taking part and a special calendar of activations rolled out throughout the week. The activities highlighted German literary heritage and celebrated the longstanding tradition of cultural exchange between that country and the UAE. It also highlighted the UAE’s efforts in the publishing industry and the conferences sector, further promoting the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair on the world stage.

In this year’s edition of the Fair, the ALC also sought to introduce the local community, as well as tourists and visitors to ADIBF, to the most renowned creations of world culture, the beauty of literature and arts from around the world, which reflected the cultures and traits of the various peoples that produced them.

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award also celebrated the winners of its 16th edition in a special ceremony at Louvre Abu Dhabi, where renowned thinker Dr. Abdullah Al Ghathami was honoured, in recognition of his illustrious and pioneering career, where he completed landmark studies and research projects that contributed greatly to the cultural movement in the region and the Arab world. Dr. Al Ghathami was awarded the title of ‘Cultural Personality of the Year’, along with a gold medal bearing the SZBA emblem, a certificate of merit, and a AED1 million prize. Winners in other categories of the Award received a gold medal, a certificate of merit, and a prize of AED750,000.

The 31st Abu Dhabi International Book Fair presented a wide range of diverse events to participants, including the inaugural International Congress of Arab Publishing and Creative Industries, which hosted 300 speakers, publishers and specialists from around the world. It also included the launch of the first edition of the ‘Kanz Al Jeel’ Award, which aims to honour Nabati poetry, as well as heritage studies and research. With a name inspired by one of the poems written by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Award is granted to scholars and creators who submit works that explore Nabati poetry and its values; it seeks to enhance poetry’s standing in society as a mirror of the community.

The 19th edition of the Gulf Book Fair Managers Meeting was also held on the sidelines of the event, resulting in a set of new recommendations to improve book fairs across the region and better support the Arab publishing industry.

A series of diverse talks, panel sessions, exhibits and other events took place throughout the fair, including a special poetry evening with poet Adonis, while the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Economics, Guido Imbens, gave a talk discussing his economic theories.

Tokyo-born artist Fuad Honda, widely recognized as one of the world’s top Arabic calligraphers, delighted fans with an exhibition and book launch at the fair, which also included panel discussions to introduce winners of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award 2022 and the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, affiliated with the Booker Prize, along with a series of panels, activities, and workshops targeting book-lovers and all segments of the community.

Exclusively to Arab News Japan, a representative of the Japanese embassy in Abu Dhabi said about their participation at the book fair: “We were happy about our participation in Abu Dhabi Book Fair as we have featured multiple activities at our booth such as: Origami, Cosplay as well featuring Japanese books and manga to introduce and teach people to the Japanese culture.”

“We were very pleased to get many visitors especially students from different schools to enjoy and learn about Japanese anime, manga and culture overall,” she added.

A representative of Manga Arabia said about their participation at the book fair: “This is our first participation at Abu Dhabi Book Fair and we were amazed by the number of visitors and school kids who came get copies of both ‘Manga Arabia Kids’ and ‘Manga Arabia Youth’ at our booth.”