Half-a-million titles to be displayed on Muscat Book Fair shelves this year

MUSCAT: As many as 500,000 titles from 783 publishers across 28 countries will be presented at the 23rd Muscat International Book Fair at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The book fair will open on February 21, 2018, and will host visitors from 10am to 10pm on weekdays. Nearly 35 per cent of the books to be exhibited are new. “The participants will be allocated sites across the exhibition centre and stalls will also be given to official authorities and foreign writers, in addition to children’s books and associated activities.

“The total area occupied for the exhibition is 12,114 square metres or 1,200 pavilions. Starting this year, the ministry will honour three Omani intellectuals and writers as well,” Dr. Abdul Munim bin Mansour Al Hassani, Minister of Information, and Head of Muscat International Book Fair committee, said.

Officially, the number of participants from the Sultanate and around the world is expected to be 53. Some 32 publishing houses in the foreign book department and libraries from the Gulf, Arab and foreign countries are also expected to participate. The total number of titles will be 500,000, of which 35 per cent are new. The exhibition includes more than 70 cultural events and children’s activities.

“The exhibition includes a number of activities for children, including the corner of book friends, the corner for people with special needs, the village of colours, and the corner of the global village,” Hamoud Al Harthy, Undersecretary of the Education Ministry and the Head of the Child Activity team, said.