A different Muscat International Book Fair

Every year, Muscat International Book Fair arrives in a new style. There is massive participation of publishing houses in it. These are same level of enthusiasm among writers and thinkers for this major annual event.

Their fans, readers and critics also flock to the fair with same sentiments. There are also varied types of cultural, intellectual and artistic activities and events at the occasion. It attracts thousands of fans and visitors, who love, enjoy and appreciate the work of arts, in all its varieties.

The book fair has become a major cultural and intellectual show which attracts writers of all genres including poets, fiction and non-fiction writers from within the country, the region and the globe. Artists also visit the Sultanate on the occasion as they have found that there was significant transformation in the arena of activities related to literature, intellectual work and art in the Sultanate of Oman these days. The fair and its activities are organised in most beautiful winter season of Muscat .

The Muscat International Book Fair in its new form is attracting guests from within the country and outside with wide arms as this is the land which has always been the hub of thoughts, culture and art since very beginning. The book fair is the most preferred destination of the people who come here and have the unique experience in the company of writers and laureates. They get enlightenment from its artistic and intellectual activities, participate in interactive events which reflect diversity of cultural and intellectual approaches. They fill their bags with books and reach back to their homes to spread the ultimate light where they live.

The book fair and exhibition has showed the capabilities and capacity of the Oman Exhibition and Convention Centre for meeting the requirement of the crowds of thirsty intellectuals who were there since early morning till late evening.

They were going through the names of the books with much delight. They were spending their hard earned money with happiness and pleasure.

The scene which we saw during the book fair belied what we were told that the people have left the books and they would never come back to it. Even though this has happened in some other places of the world, but it is not the fact in case of Muscat. Omanis have made their point very clear and candid that they still love thoughts, ideas and intellectual work and appreciate books as in the past.

The exhibition has shown that this was right time to launch new editions of books of all genres. Writers keep waiting announcement about the launch of new editions of their creative works. It is a real honour for the exhibition and Muscat to have that. Muscat is pioneering in the area and we are witness to it.

Whatever, we talk and appreciate about the Muscat International Book Fair, we will not be able to do justice with it. It has become so huge and diverse that it is not even easy to cover even one aspect of it.

We want that the fair would continue with the same approach, as it addresses the aspirations of writers, thinkers and intellectuals same as those of their fans, readers and visitors. This is because the book is the main source of guidance and inspiration for all of us from the very beginning and would remain so till the end.

The fair is the most preferred destination of the people who come for the unique experience in the company of writers and laureates. They get enlightenment from participation