Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre will once again glow in the glory of books of all genres and subjects offering something for readers across all ages!
In this digital era when electronic media has replaced the space of traditional reading practices, the 27th edition of Muscat International Book Fair starting from February 22, 2023 with as many as 533,063 titles and publications aims at promoting traditional reading practices.
A book is like a best friend who will never walk away from you. To quote the great author Charles W Eliot, “books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers”.
I believe that everyone would agree with this as books have become inevitable to mankind as they are packed with knowledge. Books give you lessons about life, and they teach you about hardships, love, fear, and every little thing that is a part of life.
Often books act as our best friends who inspire us to become the best versions of ourselves. They enrich our minds just like a good friend. We can learn a lot from books and they can help us in overcoming our failures as well as help us shape our minds!
Book fairs help in inculcating reading habits among people of all age groups. Book fairs give a chance to publishers to showcase their front-list as well as generate interest in their backlist. Readers can browse through books and buy books of their choice, which they might not pick up online.
Readers aren’t the only ones impacted by book fairs. Besides, book fairs are now educational and cultural events. Educators see an invigorated passion for learning in their students during book fair season! Many schools bring their students to book fairs, which helps in creating interest among children to pick up books of their choice.
Unfortunately, many of the book fairs across the world are shrinking in size but they are still flourishing, if not in terms of size, then in terms of the quality of visitors to the fair and the business deals sealed at the venue.
So book fairs like the Muscat International Book Fair are the perfect platforms for bringing together those who love books and literature. Every year we find the emergence of new Omani writers and new publications with the participation of Arab and international publishing houses.
Events to be held in conjunction with Muscat International Book Fair, including a Children’s Corner where an area has been allocated for family activities, a theatre, scholarly theses, and reading corners and workshops. This is in addition to the establishment of cultural cafes in a number of pavilions, which is another attraction for visitors.
A special corner will be dedicated to Omani authors and publications, including those written in Zanzibar, Arab countries, or European countries.
It's necessary as a parent, teacher, or citizen to introduce the habit of reading to young children, and book fairs like this are a very good initiative, to begin with. We can know which genre our children like and guide us through them that way when we make them here. Children get attracted to visuals and the book fair is the best place to offer it!
With a plethora of books including literature, history, mythology, general knowledge, science, spirituality, philosophy, academic books, culture, religion, and so much more, the Muscat Book Fair is definitely a positive step that will promote the practice of reading books amongst people of all age groups to gorge in and explore!
After all, the Muscat Fair is after the spectre of the Covid-19 pandemic, which loomed during last year's fair, is almost completely gone!
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