The very cheerful spectacle of children rummaging through colourful books amidst crowded stalls is a very heartening one, considering that there is so much skepticism about youngsters not engaging with books anymore.
What accounts for this sustained interest in book fairs, which continue to be held in almost every country around the world? Does this go against the common belief about the power of digital media?
The ongoing 29th Muscat International Book Fair, with its traditional book stalls and innovative storytelling sessions for young kids and roundtable panel discussions about translation and emerging trends in Omani literature, sets the stage for involved discussions on the value of reading.
More than any other diversion, book reading remains essential to our world. Not only does it take us away from the harsh realities of our everyday world, it also offers us perspective, reason and ways of dealing with such realities.
We may think of Gen Z and Gen Alpha as being digital natives whose entire existence is based on a digital screen, but this would be an injustice to them. Perhaps we are not doing enough to introduce them to the beauty of long-form reading. While accepting their short attention span, we are doing little to change it. Book fairs are an attempt to correct his wrong.
Nostalgia is a very powerful sentiment. The younger generation is discovering older fashions, music and cuisines. Perhaps reading is following the same trajectory. After all, almost nothing compares to cozying up with a strong cup of coffee and a book to spend a weekend.
One look at the world of social media is enough to prove this love for the past, imagined or real. Pictures of bookshelves fill the Internet. Propped with a plant or two, these make for the perfect icon or background for a virtual meeting. There are debates about whether all the books should actually be read or if it is enough to treasure them.
There is a reason for such nostalgia. It evokes a less stressful time when life was slower, but deeper and more engaging. There seems to be almost nothing to be cheerful about in our world today. From political confrontations, global warming and migration, the situation seems to be bleak wherever we look. But that is precisely why books are to be treasured. They, not only remind us of a time that we remember nostalgically, but they also prove that our world has survived.
Mark Twain said, "History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes”. Being unaware of this history will only make us repeat it, with possibly harsher consequences. Reading enables us to be aware of the past and prepare for a more fulfilling future. It is a joy and a skill that needs to be shared with successive generations.
Book fairs are opportunities to experience the shared love for books or to inculcate this passion. Encouraging youngsters to engage with ideas, be involved with real-world problem solving and imagine the creation of a more secure future would go a long way towards ensuring that our world will remain in good hands.
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