ERNEST Hemingway’s had said that “there is no friend as loyal as a book”, which is an apt observation as books play a very important roles in shaping and empowering every reader’s life just like a good friend does.
Access to books is a crucial factor as people in many parts of the world find it difficult to acquire books on particular subjects or by specific authors. Qatar has taken many steps to help people gain access to a vast array of book – setting up Qatar National Library being one of them. The library houses books about a wide range of topics and is available free for all.
There are also other libraries inside Education City, which is part of the institutes operating there. Another important step taken by Doha for book-lovers is organising Doha International Book Fair at the Doha Exhibition Conference Center under the patronage of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Over the past years, the fair, which started in 1972, has grown into one of the biggest book fairs in the region.
The 30th edition of the book fair, inaugurated by the Minister of Culture and Sports H E Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, is hosting more than 335 publishing houses from 31 countries at the Doha Exhibition Conference Center.
The ten-day event is a golden opportunity, not only for every adult book-lover in the country, but also for children and youth to discover new books and make them their everlasting ‘friends’.
There are many stalls at the fair that focus at the young readers where they can immerse themselves and dig out some valuable gems, which will enrich and entertain them. The feel of a physical book in your hand is unmatched and no digital experience can replace the emotion of browsing through a new book just off the shelf.
The benefits of hosting such a fair, for over three decades, can be seen from the fact that there is a significant rise in the number of Qatari publishing houses and Qatari authors.
Under the slogan “Do you then not ponder” the fair will surely help open up one’s horizons through the written words on display there.
