Day: May 21, 2022

ABU DHABI, The 31st edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF), organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), is set to host prominent Arab and international cultural and academic figures who have contributed to human knowledge with work in the fields of literature, language, thought leadership and cultural studies.

British Professor Dr Roger Allen, Professor of Arabic Language and Comparative Literature at the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilisations at the University of Pennsylvania, will be one of the notable experts participating in the upcoming edition of the fair, which will take place from 23 to 29 May, 2022, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). Dr Allen is known for his contributions in the field of translation, introducing Western readers to the works of Arab writers such as Naguib Mahfouz, Jabra Ibrahim Jabra, Abd Al Rahman Munif, Youssef Idris, and other Arab literary figures.

Also joining ADIBF 2022 will be Professor Muhsin J. Al Musawi, Dr. Muhsin J. Al-Musawi (Iraq/USA), a Professor of classical and modern Arabic literature, comparative and cultural studies at Columbia University, New York. A renowned scholar and literary critic, who has enriched Arabic literature with works such as ‘The Arabic Novel: Rise and Transformation’; ‘The Age of The Novel’; ‘Tharat Shahrazad: The Art of Modern Arab Narrative’; ‘Orientalism in Arab Thought’; ‘The Arab Novel After Mahfouz’, and many others.

Fair-goers will also be introduced to the achievements of Professor Homi K Bhabha the Anne F. Rothenberg Professor of Humanities, Department of English, and Director of the Humanities Centre, at Harvard University. Prof. Bhabha is the Founding Director of the Mahindra Centre for the Humanities at Harvard and Senior Advisor to the President and Provost of Harvard University. He worked as a professor of the Humanities in the English Department and Comparative Literature Department at Harvard University. His works include ‘The Location of Culture’ which was reprinted as one of the most prominent classics in the field, and ‘Nation and Narration’, in addition to scholarly articles in the fields of post-colonial studies and cultural theory, cultural migration, globalisation and human rights.

The exhibition will also host Professor Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Professor of Humanities, Columbia University. She is a founding member of the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society. Prof. Spivak is a leading global figure on feminist issues, language, and development. Spivak is best known for her translation of and introduction to Jacques Derrida’s De la grammatologie, (1976), ‘In Other Worlds: Essays in Cultural Politics’ (1987), and others.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) announced its participation at the 31st edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) to be held from May 23-29 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). The ADEK stand (#D0510, Hall 10) offers students a new perspective on reading, with innovative, interactive experiences that help students explore their passion for books. The stand offers four unique experiences, each representing a different book genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, and Poetry.

“Global studies show that children who read for 20 minutes a day are exposed to more than two million words a year and score 90 per cent or higher on standardized tests,” said Amer Al Hammadi, Undersecretary of ADEK. “We continue our focus on instilling a culture of reading among our community in line with the objectives of UAE National Policy for Reading, especially considering its role in supporting children’s cognitive and social development.”

ADEK’s stand at ADIBF will also provide a variety of exciting challenges and competitions that can only be solved through reading, as well as unique interactive experiences that allow students in grades 7-10 (Year 8-11) to learn about book genres that best suit their personalities. Additionally, parents visiting the pavilion can learn about the stages of reading development for children, as well as their pivotal role in encouraging their children to read.

“Developing a ‘reader personality’ begins at birth,” added Al Hammadi. “Children whose parents read for them regularly show faster rates of language development and can communicate better with the world around them. Moreover, reading to children is an important opportunity to strengthen family bonds. In this context, we previously launched A Parent’s Guide to Raising an Avid Reader, which provides parents with many tips and tools to encourage their children to read and adopt reading as a way of life.”

ADEK’s participation at ADIBF comes in line with its strategy to foster a culture of reading among youth and build a generation of passionate readers. Throughout the Month of Reading last March, ADEK organized the ‘Abu Dhabi Reads’ programme, which included a series of pop-ups at key locations in Abu Dhabi and promoted a reading culture among more than 30,000 visitors.

Source: Emirates News Agency