Arab culture is taking the world by storm

Abu Dhabi Book Fair. Antonie Robertson / The National

Visitors to Alexandria's Corniche, a road that stretches along the Egyptian city's coast, experience one of the busiest thoroughfares in the modern Middle East. Less obvious is that at points they are mere feet away from underwater stone ruins that for thousands of years have been submerged reminders of the pivotal role that the region has played in world culture.

The stones are remnants of ancient Alexandria, which for centuries guarded and produced some of the most important works from the classical world, while also serving as a centre of study and a gathering place for intellectuals across the region. Its ultimate symbol was the Library of Alexandria, a vast institution the destruction of which remains a mystery.

Since then the Middle East has seen many intellectual high points, as well as periods of devastation. The most striking example recently was the actions of ISIS in Iraq and Syria. In the background, instability, oppression, migration and poverty have also taken their toll.

But across the region, even in its toughest corners, people are still making their mark. On Sunday, novelist Mohammed Alnaas became the first Libyan and the youngest author to win the International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his novel Bread on Uncle Milad's Table, which will soon be translated into English. This year's shortlist also included the first Emirati book to be nominated, Rose's Diary by Reem Alkamali, which is set in 1960s Dubai. From the other end of the region, The National has reported on Moroccan novelist Mohsine Loukili, whose shortlisted book, The Prisoner of the Portuguese, was inspired by a Bedouin storyteller he met on the streets of Essaouira.

• 

  Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2022 runs from May 23 to 29 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National, unless otherwise specified

• 

  The annual event features a strong programme of daily panel sessions and seminars featuring award-winning authors, government officials, filmmakers and musicians.

• 

  Some of the big names appearing at the fair include Syrian poet Adonis, Nobel Prize for Economics winner Guido Imbens and this year's winners of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award and the International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

• 

  There are always new authors to meet and the opportunity to reconnect with seasoned booksellers returning with fresh stock at the book fair.

• 

  Dar Al Fadeela Bookshop showcasing newspapers and magazines from the 1970s, some featuring stories about the UAE. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

• 

  Dar Al Fadeela Bookshop specialises in literary material from the past 100 years. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

• 

  Christoph Auvermann from Libraire Clavreuil in Paris displays a book written in 1450 and worth €350,000 ($376,000). Khushnum Bhandari / The National

• 

  Entry to the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is for those 16 years and older and is free with prior registration from the website.

• 

  Visitors explore on the first day of the event.

• 

  The event is being held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre until Sunday.

• 

  Arabic letters in a futuristic font are suspended above and area where students can undertake quizzes, presented in the form of computer games, to identify their favourite genre.

• 

  An exhibition is dedicated to the UAE Space Agency’s Mission to Mars and includes a medium-sized replica of the red planet that changes colour.

• 

  Visitors play foosball at the Germany pavilion on the first day of the event.

• 

  There are several interactive elements at the event this year.

• 

  A virtual-reality experience at the UAE Ministry of Education stand.

• 

  The fair's main aim is to encourage children to read and help them figure out where to begin their book journey.

• 

  Inside the Germany pavilion. The country is the book fair's guest of honour for a second year running.

• 

  With the weekdays normally dedicated to school groups aged 16 and above, educational pavilions are where most of the action is in the mornings and early afternoons.

Yesterday, all these authors attended a session at the annual Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2022. The event, which began on Monday, is being held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, and will include big-ticket names such as Syrian poet Adonis and Nobel Prize for Economics winner Guido Imbens, among many others.

The evening before the event began, global publishers and authors gathered for discussions on the challenges facing the Arabic publishing industry. The first International Congress of Arabic Publishing, which was organised by the Arabic Language Centre, looked at ways Arabic content can be supported and promoted in the digital age. Topics included the promise of audiobooks and the ongoing struggle of creating accurate but engaging translations.

In November, Sharjah will host its annual Sharjah International Book Fair, the largest event of its kind in the world.

• 

  Fatima Al-Banawi attends The Critics Awards for Arab Films ceremony at Carlton Beach Club on May 22, 2022, in Cannes, France. All photos: Getty Images for IEFTA

• 

  From left: Maher Diab, Andrew Mohsen and Alaa Karkouti.

• 

  From left: Gary Springer, Roua Al Madani and Hovig Etyemezian.

• 

  Guests attend The Critics Awards for Arab Films ceremony at Carlton Beach Club.

• 

  From left: Hassiba Freiha, Mohamed Kheidr, Kenton Oxley and Shereen Mounir.

• 

  Hussein Fahmy.

• 

  From left: Maher Diab, Deborah Young, Hussein Fahmy, Mohamed Hefzy and Alaa Karkouti.

• 

  From left to right: Simon Fawcett, Ragnhild Ek and Marco Orsini.

• 

  From left to right: Roua Al Madani and Hovig Etyemezian.

• 

  From left to right: Maher Diab, Deborah Young, Abdallah Al-Khatib and Alaa Karkouti.

• 

  Ahmed Amer, centre, receives an award on stage.

• 

  From left to right: Christa Awuor Odinga, Lianne Llewellyn and Hovig Etyemezian.

• 

  Riya Abould Ela, right, and Lianne Llewellyn.

• 

  From left: Kareem Samy, Meriame Deghedi, Alaa Karkouti, Ronnie Kabil, Maher Diab and Basma El-Nezamy.

• 

  Rony Mitri, left, and guest.

• 

  Ronnie Kabil.

• 

  Summer Shesha.

• 

  Ziad Khuzai receives an award.

• 

  Maisa Abd Elhadi receives an award.

Further afield, Arabic filmmakers have been doing well at the Cannes Film Festival. Boy From Heaven by Swedish-Egyptian director Tarik Saleh just had its premiere at the festival. Other works on show include Tunisian-French filmmaker Erige Sehiri's Under the Fig Trees, The Dam by the Lebanese director Ali Cherri, with other works coming from Morocco to Egypt.

And when these events pass, the region is also getting yet more permanent bastions of its modern culture and creativity. Dubai is about to open the vast new 54,000-square metre Mohammed bin Rashid Library, an institution to match similar ones in the UAE, from Abu Dhabi to Sharjah. An opening date is expected soon.

The mystery at the heart of the destruction of the Library of Alexandria might never be paralleled, but with so much going in the region's cultural scene, the intellectual chain running from thousands of years ago to today is still intact. No matter how great the challenges the region faces, its intellect will never be extinguished.