If you love books, then Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is where you should be over the next week. This is the 26th year of the fair and in that time it has become one of the most important events on the region’s literary calendar. With the Middle East’s most respected publishers, books in Arabic and English as well as a host of panel discussions, workshops, performances and short-film screenings, this year’s fair is about much more than the printed word.
Arabic literature continues to tackle the hard issues of the region and provide critical insight into how we understand ourselves. The winner of the ninth International Prize for Arabic Fiction, Rabai Al Madhoun, is a perfect example. His winning novel confronts what life is like for Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.
We are, after all, in the midst of the Year of Reading, so the fair gives us a great chance to be with other book lovers and grab some titles that aren’t always available in shops or online.
