01

the 23rd Abu

Dhabi International Book Fair
from 23 - 29 April 2013

showdaily
The Arabic Book

23rd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair

24 - 29 March 2013

Welcome to Abu Dhabi

International Book Fair 2013
This 23rd edition of the
Abu Dhabi International
Book Fair again offers
unparalleled opportunities
for our Arab and
international exhibitors,
while continuing to enhance
Abu Dhabis position as the
unsurpassed and favoured
international destination for
publishers, culture, and the
arts in the region; a centre for
implementing international
benchmarking standards
and attracting market
leaders and specialists in the
industry year after year; and
a valuable link between the
international and regional
publishing sectors.

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United

Arab Emirates, is one of the worlds
most rapidly evolving cities and is fast
becoming a hub for the Arab book trade
among publishers and distributors, as
well as the Middle East and North Africa
(MENA) region focal point for the growth
of a robust publishing industry.This
places the Abu Dhabi International Book
Fair at a critical crossroads for business
opportunities in the Arab publishing
industry, offering as it does a gateway to
a fast-paced and accelerating commercial
sector that serves more than 300 million
potential readersindeed, the ADIBF is
the regions premier destination for booklovers of all ages.
The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
offers prime insight into emerging markets
in the Gulf states and beyond and is a
forum for international publishers to

01

making the fairs cultural offerings

more diverse than ever. The variety of
programmes and guests is truly reflective
of the multicultural population of the
emirate.
This fair is committed to spreading,
throughout the year, the emirates passion
for books and reading to a broader Arab
World audience, while welcoming new
concepts and ideas as the publishing
industry comes together for professional
debates and networking sessions. The
ADIBF presents premium access and
information on the educational market in
the GCC countries and facilitates access
to distribution channels in the Arab World
and beyond. Our focus on content for
kids looks at global shifts in childrens
book publishing, childrens future reading
habits, and the use of technology in
education.

Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan

Chairman of Abu Dhabi
Tourism and Culture Authority

conduct business and network with their

Arab World counterparts. TheADIBF
continues to strategically monitor the
market and keep its finger on the pulse of
literary and publishing trends.

The 2013 Abu Dhabi International Book

Fair brings together, under one roof,
influential personalities from literature,
poetry, and research. Visitors have the
opportunity to meet the winners and
shortlisted nominees of the Sheikh Zayed
Book Award as well as of the International
Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) at the ADIBF,
browse through literary translations under
the Kalima initiative, and benefit from the
National Librarys extensive collection
of books and publications. The fair also
sees the return of Tawaqee (Signatures)
and DAAD, two initiatives which promote
Arab authors and put the focus on their
intellectual works and thoughts. After its

The Abu Dhabi

International
Book Fair offers
prime insight into
emerging markets
in the Gulf states
and beyond
resounding success in 2012 Tawaqee
continues to feature and celebrate the
best-selling and most promising authors,
offering visitors the opportunity to meet
outstanding literary figures. With over 250
carefully curated sessions, 100 authors,
and 50 professional speakers, the fair
promises the finest literary debates,

www.adbookfair.com | Wednesday to Monday 09:00 - 22:00 | Friday 16:00 - 22:00

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2013

This is the only book fair in the Arabian

Gulf offering a platform for IT and
technology-driven companies and service
providers to interact and do business with
publishers. It presents opportunities to
share international best practices as well
as seminars on the most cutting-edge
topics from the contemporary publishing
and media industries. The Arab World
is an extremely diverse and dynamic
region, and the ADIBF is committed
to keeping pace with global trends in
digital publishing, with a particular
interest in how they translate locally.
New digital technology opportunities
have undoubtedly enhanced Abu Dhabis
position as a critical marketplace for
international exhibitors, as Western and
Arab publishing companies increasingly
discover that partnerships in the region
is the way forward with Abu Dhabi well
positioned to act as a regional hub.
I thank everyone who has collaborated in
organising the fair and ensuring it meets
the highest standards, allowing us to
offer visitors and partners an enriching
and insightful stay. I hope you have a
productive and memorable time here and
that you enjoy discovering and savouring
the sights and sounds of this emirate.

MASTHEAD
Editor:
Edward Nawotka
Deputy Editor:
Irum Fawad
Design Manager:
Nada Baroudy
Bylined articles do not
necessarily reflect the
views of the editors.
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
2013
All rights reserved.
Duplication, either in whole or in part,
permissible only with the prior written
consent of the Abu Dhabi International
Book Fair.

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The 23rd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair opens

today as a celebration of culture and publishing
ADIBF will bring together 1025 exhibitors
from over 51 countries, showcasing
over half a million titles in 30 different
languages and is expected to attract over
200,000 visitors over the coming six days.
This years event has seen a 23% increase
in exhibition space and an 13% uplift
in exhibitor numbers, enhancing the
reputation of ADIBF that is now considered
to be one of the biggest and best book
exhibitions in the region. To encourage the
widest participation of Arab authors and
publishers, the Abu Dhabi Tourism and
Culture Authority has this year decided to
waive off the participation fee for all Syrian
exhibitors.
The fair continues to strengthen its
reputation as a regional and international
cultural centre for, literature and
publishing. The Abu Dhabi International
Book Fair attracts publishers and
internationally renowned authors from
around the world, and this year is once
again playing a strategic role in bringing

distinguished authors and publishers

together on a common platform with
readers.
The fairs comprehensive agenda of panel
discussions, presentations, talks, and
networking opportunities is even more
cutting-edge this year. Trade visitors will
enjoy an exciting and dynamic line-up of
over 30 sessions that brings together over
50 industry experts, professional speakers,
market leaders, and trendsetters to share
opinions and ideas on contemporary
publishing topics.
The diverse and stimulating cultural
programme will host over 100 authors and
feature more than 200 sessions at a number
of venues that include the Discussion Sofa,
The Tent, GCC Stage and Tawaqee.
The Fair has also increased its focus on
digital publishing by doubling the size
of its eZone with speakers from Europe,
UK, US, India, the UAE as well as a strong
representation from the Gulf region.

With GCC countries in focus at this years

Fair book lovers will have the opportunity
to meet regional authors, poets as well
as enjoy a daily musical performance by
an ensemble from each of the six GCC
countries.

23rd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair

24 - 29 April 2013

Kuwaiti writer
Saud Alsanousi
wins IPAF 2013
by Olivia Snaije

This years 2013 International Prize for

Arabic Fiction (IPAF) went to 31-year-old
Kuwaiti writer Saud Alsanousi for his
novel, The Bamboo Stalk, which treats the
sensitive issue of foreign workers in Arab
countries and more particularly, in the Gulf
region. It is the first time the prize goes to a
Kuwaiti, and to such a young author.
The other five shortlisted authors were
serendipitously all from different countries:
Mohammed Hasan Alwan is from Saudi
Arabia, Sinan Antoon from Iraq, Jana Fawaz
Elhassan from Lebanon, Ibrahim Issa from
Egypt, and Hussein al-Wad from Tunisia. The
IPAF, which is supported by the Booker Prize
Foundation in London, is in its 6th year of
awards, although it is the first year for the
new sponsor, the TCA Abu Dhabi, which

took over from the Emirates Foundation

last fall. Each of the six shortlisted finalists
receives $10,000, and a further $50,000
goes to the winner. This year will also be the
last for retiring chair of the board Jonathan
Taylor, who has been with the prize since its
inception. He will be replaced next year by
Yasir Suleiman professor of modern Arabic
language studies at Cambridge University.
Selected from a pool of 133 books that were
submitted from across the greater Middle
East, Alsanousis book tells the story of
young man who returns to Kuwait from the
Philippines to discover what his fathers
country is like. His mother had once been
a maid for a Kuwaiti household and had
secretly married the familys son, but once
she became pregnant, he abandoned both
wife and baby, and they returned to the
Philippines. The title of the book refers to
a bamboo stalk that is rootless, yet can
be replanted anywhere. Alsanousi said he
had wondered about the maids, the drivers
and cooks in Kuwait, we do not know the

circumstances that make them leave their

country and come to ours.
Alsanousi traveled to the Philippines to
research what could have been the life of
his protagonist, Jos. Commenting that
the novel was essentially speaking to
Kuwaitis, Alsanousi said that Jos was a
device to speak about this immigrant labor
community, which is a universal story about
human pain and a search for identity.
His Lebanese publisher, Bachar Chebaro,
of Arab Scientific Publishers, who had two
books on the shortlist, said that a prize

such as the IPAF was of inestimable help

in getting younger, unknown authors to
booksellers and the wider public.
Of the literary scene in the Gulf, Alsanousi
said, there is not as big a reader base in
this region compared to other regions of the
world. I hope my novel will have an impact.
If there are serious readers there will be
serious authors, at least we are trying.

Project seeks to
find a global
readership for
Arabics written
heritage.

terms in Arabic be translated in a certain

way? Or do we allow individual translators
the leeway to make their translation their
own, even at the expense of consistency
across the series? What is the best way to
translate archaic poetry coming out of a
very different cultural and literary milieu into
comprehensible, lucid English? (And as with
any poetry, is it still poetry after its been
translated?) And how do we translate the
Arabic genre of rhyming prose (saj) without
turning it into English doggerel? All of those
questions are well worth tackling in and of
themselves, but they are in the service of a
greater goal for a translation series like this:
ultimately, we want non-Arabic-speaking
readers to view these authors and their texts
as part of their global cultural heritage, so
that the educated reader is as familiar with
the names of Ibn al-Muqaffa and al-Maarri
as she is with Homer, Tolstoy and Confucius.

Meet the Winner of the International Prize

for Arabic Fiction 2013 at 19:00 at the
Discussion Sofa

Introducing
the Library
of Arabic
Literature in
English
by Chip Rossetti

For the past two years, I have been fortunate

enough to work on a new book series that
aims to make classical Arabic texts accessible
to English-language readers. The series,
known as the Library of Arabic Literature, has
set itself the challenging goal of publishing
key works of pre-modern Arabic literature in
bilingual editions, publishing the original text
and its English translation on facing pages.
Supported by New York University Abu Dhabi,
LAL hopes to ensure that pre-modern Arabic
writingin genres ranging from poetry to
law, religion, philosophy, science, history,
and fictionwill find new readers across the
globe who would otherwise be unfamiliar
with this rich literary and intellectual heritage.
General Editor Philip F. Kennedy, Associate
Professor at NYU-Abu Dhabi, heads an eightmember board composed of scholars of
Arabic and Islamic studies, which selects the
texts we would like to see translated, pairs
them with translators, and gives the final
approval before publication.
Most of these works have not been translated
into English (or if they are, they are available
only in partial, old-fashioned versions) and
we have spent the last two years working out
some ground rules on which texts we should

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publish first and how to approach them. We

also quickly discovered the design pitfalls
of parallel-text publishing, particularly when
the English and Arabic texts run in different
directions. We took care to choose an elegant
typeface that allowed us to set the Arabic
in a style more in keeping with traditional
Arabic calligraphy than with the more rigid,
horizontal format of contemporary Arabic
typesetting.
The hard work paid off, however, as we
published our first three books this past
winter, starting with an all-English anthology
of poetry and prose, Classical Arabic
Literature: A Library of Arabic Literature
Anthology, selected and translated by the
prominent Oxford Arabist Geert Jan van
Gelder. The anthology includes poems by
some of the best-known Arabic poets and
authors from the Arabic tradition (including
Abu Nuwas, al-Mutanabbi, al-Jahiz, and
al-Masudi, for example), as well as a range
of little-known gems such as a dialect
poem from 15th-century Cairo lamenting
the death of an elephant in a canal, and a
gorgeous Yemeni lyrical sketch on a visit to
the hammam (Thus the dirt of bodies and
minds was eliminated and every heart felt

elated. Adorned with the pearls of sweat

that dripped, into our bathrobes we slipped,
and into the henna our hands and feet
were dipped.) Our first bilingual texts came
out, too: The Epistle on Legal Theory, by
al-Shafii, a foundational document of Islamic
jurisprudence, and A Treasury of Virtues,
a compilation of the sayings, sermons and
teachings of Ali ibn Abi Talib, by Fatimid jurist
al-Qadi al-Qudai. Four more titles are due to
be published this summer.
It has been a steep learning curve for all of
us, notably because we are tackling texts
deemed untranslatable. For that reason,
many of our editorial discussions have
revolved around laying down series-wide
rules: can we insist that technical or cultural

Philip F. Kennedy (General Editor) and

Chip Rossetti (Managing Editor) will be
discussing this series in a presentation
called Introducing the Library of Arabic
Literature, this afternoon on the
Discussion Sofa, 17:30-18:30.

Why Metadata Matters

Metadata may be a familiar topic to

those with mature online marketplaces,
but in the Arabic-speaking Middle East
and North Africa, where digital publishing
is still evolving, a dearth of metadata
poses unique challenges to retailers
and publishers alike and is slowing the
development of online marketplaces.
In my view the biggest challenge is the
lack of information and resources that
support the publishing process through its
life cycle and the absence of data-sharing
between internal and external value chain
partners in publishing, says Emad Eldeen
Elakehal, MD of Elkotob.com and the CTO
of The Book Depository (both Amazonowned companies, though the views here
expressed are entirely his own).
Talking about ISBN in particular, although
the international agency is doing a great
job, you find a tiny number of local
agencies in the Arab world that are not up
to the job and their performance affects
negatively the take of organized and
efficient supply chain with proper use of
metadata and its standards in the Arab
region. Issues like this however require
jointed efforts of all players of the book
trade to be solved.
The majority of publishers are still
using traditional methods to create their
data,and there are hardly any tools to
manage it. There is also misunderstanding
of the nature of identifiers role such as

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ISBN hence the implementation and

use of these identifiers is not accurately
done and is not that common yet. He
stresses that it is important to use
internationally recognized and widely used
books standards to organize and exchange
metadata.
Salah Chebaro, CEO of Neel wa Furat, a
leading online bookstore in Middle East,
agrees. He points out that metadata for
Arabic books is nearly non existent...this
means that you have to create create your
own numbering system yourself, and this
means that you cannot share data with
other companies.
One option would be to establish a
specialized company to develop consistent
system that could be applied across the
region. That said, free tools already exist
that support Arabic and are compatible
with the global metadata databases and
standards. The trick is getting publishers to
use them.
And of course, the Arab World poses
a unique and distinct environment for
publishers who want to implement
metadata. When one-third of the books in
the region are religious titles, one simple
classification for religious books wont do.
Metadata has many important roles to
play such as book discovery, customer
persuasion, financial transaction support,
accurate fulfillment, and better pricing
calculations, says Akehal, who has

by Edward Nawotka

The lack of good

metadata may be
inhibiting growth
of Arabic online
marketplaces.

developed a new ONIX subject category

scheme appropriate to the content of
Arabic-language books and plans to
announce this at next weeks Abu Dhabi
International Book Fair.
Considering the ever increased intellectual
production of humans around the globe,
there are more books today than any single
individual might read in a lifetime or many
lifetimes. It is becoming a great challenge
to find the right book. The correct
specification of the subject category and
complete set of other elements will help in
identifying the right title by narrowing the
search scope.
For his part, Chebaro would like to see
ISBNs assigned for old Arabic books once
and for all. Hed even like to see metadata
embedded in book covers in the form of
QR codes or another means which too
might aid in book discovery.
All said, until such a time when there is
widespread implementation of metadata
best practices across the Middle East the
ability of local marketplaces and publishers
to reach a global audience will remain
hamstrung.
Emad E D El Akehal (MD of Elkotob.
com and the CTO of The Book
Depository) andSalah Chebaro (CEO
of Neel wa Furat) will take part in the
discussion The Power of Information
onWednesday, April 24,14:30 to 15:45 at
the eZone.

Its more than just a city. Its intriguing Abu Dhabi.

23rd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
24 - 29 April 2013

SHEIKH ZAYED
GRAND MOSQUE

EMIRATES PALACE

ISLAND
BOAT TOURS

FROM SOUK TO MALL

FERRARI WORLD
ABU DHABI

Be moved by the wonder of

this architectural treasure
which can house over 40,
000 worshippers.

Experience ultimate luxury

at one of
the worlds most
opulent hotels.

Explore the natural beauty

of the Corniche as you
drift along clear seas on a
relaxing cruise boat.

Seek out a bargain

at traditional markets
or cut a dash in a
modern mall.

Feel the 240kmph

adrenalin rush of the worlds
fastest roller coaster.

YAS LINKS ABU DHABI

ABU DHABI
FALCON HOSPITAL

OPEN-TOP BUS TOUR

MANARAT
AL SAADIYAT

DINE AT MEZLAI

Take on the challenge of

Yas Links Abu Dhabi - the
regions first links course.

Learn more about the UAEs

national bird and try your
hand at the traditional sport of
falconry at this state-of-the-art
facility.

All aboard for this tour of the

UAE capital with
commentary in any one of
eight languages.

Experience Abu Dhabis

purpose-built arts exhibition
centre on Saadiyat Island.

Head to Emirates Palace for

a taste of Emirati cuisine
fine dining style.

Explore a city built on tradition and inspired by innovation.

Where you can lose yourself in age-old hospitality and
marvel at the wonder that is Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi. Travellers welcome.

Discover more. www.visitabudhabi.ae

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Iraqs Sinan Antoon

Latest Novel Inspired by
True Tragedy
by M. Lynx Qualey

Observing the great distance

between expectations and
reality on this topicwhen
these expectations are mostly
personal ones and not based
on sources in the classical
sense of the wordseems to
be a difficult undertaking,
necessarily prolonged by
error here and there. This is
especially true when literature
is construed as a cultural
practice and as an expression
of a particular position on
knowledge and the world, and
it requires dealing with all
the different artistic trends
in literature that have been
dominant or are dominant
now, as well as literatures
diverse contents.
In the fall of 2010, Our Lady of Salvation,
a well-known church in Baghdad, was
attacked. Worshippers were held hostage
for hours and many were killed. This
event, Antoon said, had a big impact on
me personally as well as on the events of
his latest novel.
The novel, Hail Mary, was shortlisted for
this years International Prize for Arabic
Fiction (IPAF). Antoon will be in The Tent
discussing the novel at 5:30 with Al
Raweyat. This will be followed by a book
signing.
In an interview with IPAF organizers,
Antoon said that he began working on
Hail Mary in the spring of 2011, just before
the publication of his award-winning
translation of Mahmoud Darwishs In the
Presence of Absence.
Antoon began writing the book in Berlin,
where he was staying temporarily, but
finished it in New York, where he is
associate professor at the Gallatin School,
New York University. The real writing took
two years but thinking about it and my
silent dialogues with the characters to find
out more about them and their past took

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Can the
Internet
Inspire
Children to
Read Books?
by Dennis Abrams

Today between 15:00 and 16:00, a

discussion entitled Reading Habits
of the Future will be held in Capital
Suite 19.
Panelists, including Dr. Safaa Azmi,
Owner of Oasis Tales Publishing House
in Dubai, and Amina Alaoui Hachimi
from the Moroccan publishing house
Yanbow Al Kitab, will examine the what,
where, and how of childrens reading.
Amina Alaoui Hachimi gave us a
preview of what shell be discussing,
and her hopes for the future:
The world is experiencing fast paced
changes in technologies, and we are all
wondering what the future of classical
paper books will look like. In Morocco,
though, the question is even more
difficult since there are few readers to
begin with. Indeed, with the high rate
of illiteracy, an unsteady book supply
chain, an absence of institutional
support, and low purchasing power,
there is very little interest in reading in
general.

another year, since we write even when

we are not writing!
The events in Hail Mary take place in a
single day, with two different visions of
life, history, and events. One of the core
characters is an elderly man, Youssef, who
through the years has refused to leave
Iraq.
He is a lot like one of my relatives,
Antoon said. He remains alone in the
family house which he built in Baghdad
after everyone emigrates because of wars
and the blockade.
The other core character is the much
younger Maha. Youssef sees Maha as
very different: War and sanctions were
what her green eyes beheld when they
had fluttered open, and her earliest tastes
of life were deprivation, violence, and

displacement. I, on the other hand, had

lived in prosperous times which I still
remembered and continued to believe
were real. (Section translated by Maia
Tabet.)
Hail Mary is Antoons third novel,
following his Ijaam and The Pomegranate
Alone, which will be published in English
this summer as The Corpse Washer by
Yale University Press.
Multitalented, Antoon is also a celebrated
poet (The Baghdad Blues), translator
(most recently, of a collection of
Saadi Youssefs work), the cofounder
and coeditor of the culture section
ofJadaliyya, and a filmmaker. He
co-produced and co-directed the film
About Baghdad and has been working on
another film about Saadi Youssef.

Hail Mary is the multitalented

authors third novel and was
shortlisted for the IPAF

So what children will read in the future

will largely depend on how we will be
able to provide books to the ones who
cannot afford them as well as how we
can stimulate interest in reading. This
is what our publishing house, Yanbow
Al Kitab tries to do by distributing
books to disadvantaged children and
organizing workshops, story telling
sessions, and games to sensitize
children to the importance of reading.
However, the more promising
opportunity for us in Morocco might
be the development of digital books.
Children love screens, and many of
them have access to the internet in my
country. We could use these tools, then,
to arouse their interest in books. We
have already started working with a
telecommunications company, INWI,
to upload our stories online. We are
hoping to be able to collaborate with
other partners, especially with other
publishing houses in the Arab world.
Maybe then, the interest from children
in ebooks will lead them to read
classical paper books.

23rd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair

24 - 29 April 2013

Poetry Translation Marks

Colombian Embassys First
Year in Abu Dhabi
by M. Lynx Qualey

Today at 16:30, Egyptian poettranslator Ahmad Yamani and

Colombian poet-editor Juan Felipe
Robledo will be at the Discussion
Sofa to launch a bilingual edition of
Ten Colombian Poems in Arabic.
We think of an anthology as a
matter of personal taste, of texts
chosen for their own beauty and
expressive power, says Robledo.
These are poems that have moved
us, and they are part of our memory
as families and friends. But on the
other hand, [the anthology] must
represent the best of our poetic
tradition.
One classic of the collection is the
Epic of Creation, composed by the
Kogi people who live in the Sierra
Nevada de Santa Marta, as recorded
by anthropologist Gerardo ReichelDolmatoff and turned to verse by
Nicaraguan poet Ernesto Cardenal.
Other poets included in the 99-page
book are Francisca Josefa del Castillo
y Guevara, Rafael Pombo, Jos
Asuncin Silva, Porfirio Barba Jacob,
Len de Greiff, Fernando Charry Lara,

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Editor hopes
Ten Colombian
Poems in Arabic
will stir fruitful
dialogue
Aurelio Arturo, Meira Delmar, and
Giovanni Quessep.
We hope that anyone reading this
anthology gets a glimpse of the best
of the history of Colombian poetry,
says Robledo. And, at the same
time, we hope readers delight in the
wonder of individual poems that are
meaningful for themselves.
This work, is a very brief overview
of Colombian poetry, from preHispanic origins to Giovanni
Quessep, the only living writer
featured in the book. Quessep,
a significant Colombian poet
and essayist, is descended from
Lebanese immigrants and was

included in part to show the links

between Colombian and Arab
cultures.
The bilingual anthology was the
brainchild of the Colombian Embassy
in Abu Dhabi and is being published
to celebrate their first year in the
UAE.
The books Arabic translator, Ahmad
Yamani, is one of the most acclaimed
Egyptian poets of his generation. He
published his first book, The Streets
of Black and White, in 1995 and
added two more collections by 2001,
when he relocated to Spain. His
most recent book, Wrong Places,
appeared in 2009. Also in 2009,
Yamani was named one of the Beirut
39, a group of the best Arab writers
under 40.
The ten poems were selected by
Robledo, and Colombian poet
Catalina Gonzlez Restrepo wrote
the books foreword. Robledo, an
award-winning Colombian poet and a
professor of literature, will also be on
hand for Wednesdays discussion.

Raising Awareness of
Middle Eastern Art
by Daniel Kalder

As new cultural institutions, museums, and galleries open in

the GCC countries, so interest in illustrated and art books has
increased throughout the region.
We spoke to Lee Ann Biddle, Chief Writer
and Researcher of the Ayyam Gallery in
Dubai about her experience of the GCC fine
arts scene.
Ayyam Gallery was founded by collectors
and cousins Khaled and Hisham
Samawi in Damascus in 2006 and has
since expanded to Beirut and Dubai,
representing a roster of Arab and Iranian
artists with an international profile and
museum presence. Meanwhile its range of
activities has expanded rapidly:
A number of non-commercial exhibitions,
as well as the launch of Ayyam Publishing,
Ayyam Editions, and The Young Collectors

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Auction, have further succeeded in

showcasing the work of Middle Eastern
artists with the aim of educating a wider
audience about the art of this significant
region. Ayyam Gallery Damascus currently
functions as a studio and creative haven
for artists who remain in the war-torn city.
In early 2013, Ayyam Gallery launched new
spaces in London and Jeddah.
Publishing, adds Biddle, has always been
part of Ayyams program: Ayyam Gallery
began publishing monographs and
exhibition catalogues from its inception.
Weve done fifty books in the past seven

years. Through its publishing, Ayyam

Gallery is raising awareness for the arts
of the Middle East on a regional and
international level, as many are sent to
cultural institutions throughout the world.
Participating in the Abu Dhabi book is
important for the gallerys future plans,
adds Biddle:
We hope to bring a unique perspective
as a gallery with a real commitment to
publishing and furthering the discourse
of not only our artists, but also artists of
the wider region. From participating, we
hope to gain more insight and knowledge
into the world of publishing, especially

the distribution end, and to network to

discover other critics and writers who
share our ambitions for the arts of this
region.
Lee Ann Biddle will be taking part in
the panel, Coffee Table Books, Art
Books, Illustrated Books: Markets in
the GCC Countries. The discussion
will be hosted by Anabelle Brousse de
Gersigny, Publications Officer, Cultural
Department, TCA Abu Dhabi, and include
Narain Jashamal, Director, Jashanmal
Books;Lars Mller, Lars Mller Publishing
(Switzerland); Kevin Jones, Writer (UAE);
Natasha Stallard, Brownbooks (Dubai).

Coffee table books and illustrated books are

a growing publishing segment in the GCC

23rd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair

24 - 29 April 2013

Digital Collaborations Will

Reshape the Way the World Reads
by Daniel Kalder

As publishers digitise
their content, they
increasingly have
to cooperate with
technology startups. We spoke to
Shahnawaz Safdar,
Managing Director of
Indian digital solutions
firm IntegralMDS
and Ahmed Rashad
Executive Director of
the Al Dar Al Masriah Al
Lubnaniah publishing
house in Cairo about
this global trend.

Digital publishing is very dynamic at the

moment and the tremendous possibilities
in the field excite me, says Shahnawaz
Safdar. I believe till civilization exists,
books will exist in one form or other.
But what form? Safdar continues:
Enhanced and interactive digital books
are the future of reading. The research work
going into it and the collaborative work
that we are doing with publishers over
the next few years will reshape the way
the world reads. We wish to keep working
with publishers from all segments trade,
education, children books, science and
technology and add a new dimension
to the reading and learning experience via
enhanced eBooks. As collaborators, we
want to find a way to let the reading world
know of the immense possibilities and
thereby demand for the product.
However, adds Safdar, publishers will have
greater success if they cooperate with
specialist partners such as IntegralDMS:
Publishers create amazing content.
Tech companies know the best available
method to enrich it further for reading
devices thereby giving readers a value
product. Both are important and both will
exist, one will not erode the other. It would

09

www.adbookfair.com

Digital publishing
is very dynamic at
the moment and
the tremendous
possibilities in the
field excite me

be best if both work in cooperation and

not compete with each other. So, working
collectively each doing their part, we can
create new vistas and give an altogether
new aspect to the reading experience.
Ahmed Rashad agrees that digital books
are the future, even in a relatively underdeveloped market such as Egypts:
If you found a technology firm which
could help you to develop your work and
this development will open you up to a
new market channel why not? But this

technology firm must have two things:

honesty in work and experience.
Currently, says Rashad, There is not great
demand in Egypt for digital publishing
but he thinks that will change. We are on
track because there is a great demand
in E-commerce for buying books through
the Internet. The number of Internet users
in Egypt increases each year by more than
20% which means that digital publishing
is a factor that is coming. In addition,
universities and the Ministry Of Education
are working on some projects related
to digital publishing. For example, the
Ministry Of Education in Egypt is planning
to add the curriculums in the next 3 years
on tablets universities in Egypt are using
digital publishing for English Academic
Books and want to do the same for Arabic
Academic books, so there will be demand.
Ahmed Rashad will take part in the panel
discussion Start-ups and Publishers:
How to Cooperate? takes place in the
eZone today at 16:00. Speakers include
May Habib, Director, Qordoba and
Shahnawaz Safdar, Managing Director,
Integral (India)

Illustrators Corner
The hub for visual content at the ADIBF

Illustration of the
Day competition

To encourage young illustrators, the

ADIBF will feature a new Illustrators
Corner element, in the form of a
competition. On a daily basis, illustrators
will present their work to a judging
panel which will choose the illustration
that best represents the days events.
The illustrations will be published
in the ADIBF Show Daily providing
budding illustrators with a platform to
showcase their work. The Illustrators
Corner will continue to be one of the
fairs most popular and dynamic venues
this year. The hub for visual content,
the Illustrators Corner is a dedicated
meeting-point for illustrators, graphic
and comic strip designers, typographers,
calligraphers, and agencies to come
together to share and launch their work.
This year the Illustrators Corner has
a truly international flavour, hosting
guests from Spain, Switzerland, the UAE,
Syria, and Malaysia.

10

www.adbookfair.com

23rd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair

24 - 29 April 2013

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