- Over 1,000 exhibitors from 50 countries will participate in this
year’s fair
- Exhibitor numbers are up by 13%
Abu Dhabi, 17 April, 2013: The 23rd
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) today unveiled new cultural, professional,
and young readers’ programmes.
The programmes are
expected to boost attendance at the fair, which runs at the Abu Dhabi National
Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from April 24-29, with organisers Abu Dhabi Tourism
& Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) pointing to a 15% increase in
exhibition space for this year’s edition and a 13% uplift in exhibitor numbers.
“The Abu Dhabi
International Book Fair is recognised as the region’s most professional book
fair and one of the world’s fastest-growing publishing events,” said His
Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director Generalm TCA Abu Dhabi. “We have
enhanced the fair’s cultural and professional programmes to include new panel
discussions and to highlight different cultural elements this year, such as
musical ensembles from GCC countries. This will all further enrich the
experience of the tens of thousands expected to visit the event.”
The annual fair, held under
the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince
of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, provides
literary and publishing trendsetters and market leaders a platform to promote
the greatest in book titles, e-bookcontent, and digital apps as well as cultural
excellence.
Mr. Jumaa Abdulla Al
Qubaisi, ADIBF Director says the fair will be:“bigger, more comprehensive, and more engaging than
ever.
“We are extremely encouraged by the fair’s annual
growth and the strengthening of its reputation as a regional and international
cultural centre for Arabic cultural life, literature, and publishing.
“Today the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair attracts
publishers and internationally renowned authors from around the world to an event
that is a highly effective catalyst for Arabic-language publishing, the
promotion of reading among the young, and the nurturing of new writing talent.”
The fair’s comprehensive agenda of panel discussions,
presentations, talks, and networking opportunities is even more cutting-edge
this year. Visitors will enjoy an exciting and very culturally diverse line-up
of over 30 sessions that bring together over 50 professional speakers, market
leaders, and trendsetters to share opinions and ideas on contemporary
publishing issues.
Mr. Mohamed
Abdulla Al Shehhi, Director of Publishing, TCA Abu Dhabi, added: “We are looking forward to welcoming hundreds
of exhibitors from over 50 countries who will showcase over 500,000 titles
which represent a mix of cultural, intellectual, and business books in over 30
languages demonstrating the remarkable richness and diversity of the fair’s
content.”
The fair will again have a strong focus on young
readers. “This reflects our belief that education is a fundamental element of
the fair and our commitment to nurturing reading habits among the young,”
explained Al Qubaisi. . To ensure that the maximum number of children could
attend the fair, the dates for this year’s edition were moved to avoid any
clashes with school exams.
Young
book lovers will enjoy readings, book signings, and workshops with writers and
storytellers from around the world, as well as presentations by artists
exhibiting in the Illustrator’s Corner. The Creativity Corner workshops will
include talks on recycling and protecting the environment, animated films,
traffic awareness, and more.
The
ADIBF has also recognised the growing importance of digital publishing and has
doubled the size of its eZone for 2013, enabling a much stronger focus on the
growing phenomenon of ebooks and digital publishing that are becoming
increasingly popular among the region’s tech-savvy youth.
The
ADIBF is the Middle East’s only book fair to offer a platform for IT- and
technology-driven companies and service providers to interact and do business
with publishers. This year, once again, the eZone and Service Providers Area
will feature seminars on cutting-edge issues at the crossroads of publishing
and technology and will host companies from the US, Germany, Spain, Greece, the
UAE, Jordan, and India.
The
Illustrator’s Corner will continue to be one of the fair’s most popular and
dynamic venues this year. The hub for visual content, the Illustrator’s 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 Illustrator’s Corner has a truly international
flavour, hosting guests from
Spain, Switzerland, the UAE, Syria, and Malaysia.
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