Two weeks ago Lynne and I had the honor of attending the
Sharjah International Book Festival, held in the United Arab Emirates and the
third-largest book festival in the world. Over one million readers, young and
old, visited during the course of the eleven-day event. Authors, poets, and
publishers from around the world participated. It was an education for us in so
many ways.
The sheer numbers were astounding, and the diversity electrifying.
It took us two days to explore the entire venue, and the number of books on
display was staggering. We sat on a panel of writers, one of whom was Kuwaiti.
When the moderator asked what one of the most difficult things about being a
writer was, she answered, “Staying alive.” It was a stark reminder to us of the
bravery that many of our fellow authors show in the face of persecution by
repressive regimes.
We had the opportunity to visit a GEMS school in Abu Dhabi
and speak to over 200 students (who, of course, speak fluent English along with
Arabic, Hindi and French!). They were bright and curious, polite to a fault,
and asked thoughtful and spirited questions. There is no free primary and
secondary education in the UAE. All students pay school fees and must buy their
own textbooks and uniforms.
Sharjah, one of the seven Emirates of the UAE, was named the
Book Capital of the World for 2019, by UNESCO (United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization), the International Federation of Library
Associations (IFLA), and the International Publishers Association (IPA). The
Festival slogan was “Open Books, Open Minds.”
This Emirate has determined it wants to be a knowledge
center and to take UAE and Arab literature to audiences around the world. They
promote literacy for prisons and rehabilitation centers, have programs for
refugees in Syria and other parts of the world, and most importantly have
projects that get books to the migrant population of the UAE by translating
books into their native languages such as Hindi, Tagalog or Urdu. Migrants make
up 90% of the UAE’s population.
There are mobile libraries, libraries in parks and even in
Bedouin tents. One government project––“Knowledge Without Borders”–– provided
42,000 local families with free home libraries of 50 fiction and non-fiction
books. The government also provides tax-free status and office space to
publishing companies.
Naturally, not all of our time was spent on books. We took
in the sights, and they were breathtaking. Roaming the souks, we saw enough
gold to refill Fort Knox and wondered why something so plentiful could so
valuable. One of the 90-degree afternoons was spent reading on the beach and
swimming in the Persian Gulf––the perfect de-stressor for a hectic schedule!
In Abu Dhabi, we saw the incredibly beautiful Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, built over the course of three years at a cost of $545 million. It is one of the largest mosques in the world, with room for 40,000 worshipers.
Spending time in Dubai, we marveled at the mind-blowing
architecture, with the most amazing structure of all being the Burj Khalifa,
the tallest building in the world. We sat at its feet and watched a light and
water show that kept a crowd of thousands (and us!) mesmerized.
We were welcomed at the U.S. Consulate for a wonderful reception where we were able to mingle with other authors and heads of state.
Of course, a visit to the Emirates wouldn’t be complete
without an evening in the desert, so we buckled up in jeeps and held on as we
rode the steep, curving sand dunes. Watching the sun go down over the golden
red sand was a sight we’ll never forget. A dinner by candlelight under the
stars capped off the night.
The people were wonderful, welcoming and couldn’t do enough
for us.
Wherever we went, we were struck by the magnificent mosques and the
immaculate cleanliness of the country. If you ever have a desire to visit a
mall that has every high-end product in the world, then the Dubai Mall is the
place for you. It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen, with a giant aquarium smack
in the middle of it. The downside was the traffic––just horrendous.
It was the experience of a lifetime, and we are both so
grateful to have had this wonderful opportunity.
Wow! What an incredible adventure - and opportunity to tell a million people about your books!! Those numbers you wrote about were astounding - and the photos fabulous! How did you get invited to this incredible conference of book lovers? I'm sure many authors would like to know. Is it an annual event? Thanks for sharing this with us!!! (And hope you sold a ton of books).
ReplyDeleteYes, this is an annual event! We heard about it when representatives from the Festival attended Thrillerfest last July in search of writers who would be interested in attending.
DeleteWhat a fabulous experience, and you brought back such interesting information about change, growth, and books. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteIt was an amazing event and encouraging to see so many families with children attending. And another interesting note - THE HANDMAID'S TALE was published for the first time in Arabic and completely sold out!!
DeleteThat is so totally cool!!! And great pics!
ReplyDeleteThere was so much to see that we were constantly taking pictures!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing experience! I might have to put that on my bucket list!!! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely go if you have the time to do it!
ReplyDelete