The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is returning this May 23-29 to the ADNEC Exhibition Center in Abu Dhabi. The theme of this year’s fair is “Inspire. Create. Enrich." and the motto is "Reading is seeing." It will offer more than 450 events, including numerous leading literary and cultural figures from the region and around the world.
Syrian poet and perennial Nobel Prize candidate Adonis, Indian feminist critic and literary theorist Gayatri Spivak, and British writer Ed Husain, author of The Islamist are all speaking at the fair, as is Dr. Bilal Orfali, professor and Sheikh Zayed Chair in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the American University of Beirut, who will discuss Islam and the West. This is in addition to a strong professional program and education program, which will cover a wide range of topics, including the rise of Afrofuturism, the future of Arabic-language education, the evolution of children’s book illustrations, the role of women in publishing, best practices for rights selling, the ins-and-outs of antiquarian bookselling, and the publishing market in the United Arab Emirates.
The late Egyptian writer Dr. Taha Hussein (1889-1973), who is known by the moniker “The Dean of Arabic Literature” and is a figurehead for the Egyptian Renaissance and the Modernist movement in the Middle East and North Africa, has been named Personality of the Year for ADIBF 2022, and the fair will feature four seminars on his work and its lasting influence on Arabic literary studies. Germany will be the Guest of Honor nation. The ADIBF also includes all the features of previous years' events, including book signings, creative workshops, live art, and poetry evenings accompanied by Bait Al Oud Music.
Prior to this year's fair will be the first International Congress of Arabic Publishing & Creative Industries, which will be held on May 21. The new event aims to offer professional guidance to the publishing and creative industries throughout the Arab world and beyond. Keynote speeches will be offered by Nicholas Carr of the New York Times; Silicon Valley veteran and author of Bet on Yourself Ann Hiatt; and Michael Tamblyn, president and chief executive officer at Rakuten Kobo. Panels will cover topics ranging from social media marketing and self-publishing to translations and the proliferation of Arabic-language publishing around the world.
