SALALAH: Amid entertainment of all sorts, the Salalah Tourism Festival (STF) has also been catering to the needs of people who find joy in reading books. At the lavish Itin Recreation Centre, the main venue of the STF, there is one corner which attracts book lovers with a range of titles and variety of books.
The book fair offers a wide selection of genres, ranging from novels and children’s stories, to books on history, politics, religion, academics, lifestyle and many others.
Among the publishers, shop-owners and collectors are those from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, including Oman. A participant from Salalah, who has displayed a good collection of books, also has the rare distinction of having read most of them. She is Fatima al Mashani of Taqah, who takes part in most of the important events in Dhofar with her collection of books “to spread the message of book reading among the youth of this generation.”
The book fair organiser, Beirut Bookshop, takes part in the STF almost every year. Beirut Bookshop General Manager Mohammed Saadawi appreciates customers of Salalah for their interest in books and their reading habit, despite the fact that a majority of local bookshops sell mainly stationery products.
“One of the goals of the annual fair is to promote the sale of books in Dhofar, and to make good literature more easily accessible to the people of the governorate,” said a festival functionary.
Beirut Bookshop is planning to open a branch in Dhofar very soon in addition to two other branches in the country.
Among the shops attending the fair is a local bookshop called Waraq. The relatively new company was established three years ago by an avid reader, Fatima, who had resolved soon after her graduation from college to pursue a livelihood related to her passion for reading.
Currently Fatima sells her books from home. She makes her earnings by attending fairs as well as by selling books through social media.
— Mazid Mustahil Akaak
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