Two acclaimed authors made an appearance on the second day of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
Held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) until May 2, the 27th edition of the event welcomed Abbas Beydoun, author of The Autumn of Innocence, on Thursday.
The first prize winner of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in the literature category, the novel’s theme of tyranny was discussed at the Al Multaqa Literary Salon.
There is always a motivation for repellent action, Beydoun explained
“It’s not good enough to just say ‘well, this is new to us,” he said.
“Violence just doesn’t fall from the sky. It comes from our ethics and our behaviours. It comes from ourselves and we have to be aware of that.”
The salon also welcomed one of Turkey’s best selling authors Tuna Kiremtci.
The writer and musician arrived at the fair to discuss his 2007 novel Prayers Stay the Same, which was recently translated into Arabic.
Kiremtci said the translation excited him as much as publishing the book for the first time a decade ago.
“Arabic is one of the most beautiful languages and to see my work translated means a lot to me,” he said.
“Also it gave me an opportunity to go back and learn about the language and the great Arab civilisation. Two people have taught me this, my Arabic publisher and my Algerian ex-girlfriend.”
Day two also saw the signing of an agreement to establish the first joint UAE- Chinese publishing house.
In collaboration between Emirati researcher Fatima Hamad Al Mazrouei and the InterContinental China Publishing House, the venture aims to begin working on its first batch of releases once book licensing procedures are completed.
“This project was always present in our thinking and today has been translated into reality to realise the ambitions of both parties in spreading cooperation and communication between our two countries. Especially since China has had a long-standing history of printing and publishing for thousands of years,” said Mazrouei.
