The 52nd Cairo International Book Fair, one of the highlights in Egypt's cultural calendar, is scheduled to open on Wednesday, June 30.
The popular annual event, attended by thousands each year, will run for 15 days under strict health guidelines after being postponed in January in light of the pandemic.
Each year, the fair's organisers honour a prominent Arab writer. This year, Egyptian novelist Yahya Haqqi is the fair's honoree
The fair usually takes place towards the end of January to coincide with the mid-year school break as it aims to attract young adults and school children.
Each year, the fair's organisers honour a prominent Arab writer. This year, Egyptian novelist Yahya Haqqi is the writer recognised.
Haqqi, who died in 1992, had a stellar literary career, during which he published four collections of short stories, one novel, Umm Hashem's Lamp, and many articles. He was also the editor of an Egyptian literary magazine, Al-Majalla, from 1961 to 1971.
In previous years, the fair honoured writers including Tharwat Okasha, Suhair El-Kalamawy, Abdel-Rahman El-Charkawi and Gamal Hamdan.
An administrative committee met to determine how the fair would run during a coronavirus outbreak, according to a statement issued by the committee. One of the measures will be that only a limited number of visitors will be allowed inside the exhibition halls at a given time.
For the first time, tickets to the fair will only be available for purchase online through a soon-to-launched platform, so as to limit the number of tickets bought for a specific window and to control physical contact at the event. Tickets will be five Egyptian pounds ($0.32).
Increased penalties on flouting health and safety measures were announced by organisers – publishers and salespeople have all been notified to implement strict preventive measures.
Another committee meeting will take place on Thursday, June 3 to decide if the programme will include events such as book signings and talks and at what capacity that would be possible. The theme this year is Egypt's Identity: Culture and the Question of the Future.
The 52nd Cairo International Book Fair will run from Wednesday, June 30 to Thursday, July 15 at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre in the district of New Cairo
HWJN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Yasir%20Alyasiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Baraa%20Alem%2C%20Nour%20Alkhadra%2C%20Alanoud%20Saud%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
MATCH INFO
Karnatake Tuskers 114-1 (10 ovs)
Charles 57, Amla 47
Bangla Tigers 117-5 (8.5 ovs)
Fletcher 40, Moores 28 no, Lamichhane 2-9
Bangla Tiger win by five wickets
MATCH INFO
Day 1 at Mount Maunganui
England 241-4
Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28
New Zealand
Yet to bat
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
FIXTURES
December 28
Stan Wawrinka v Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Milos Raonic v Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 29 - semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Stan Wawrinka / Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Milos Raonic / Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 30
3rd/4th place play-off, 5pm
Final, 7pm
