Paulo Coelho

I can confidently say that your actions have prompted the UAE and the Arab world to start creating your own destiny. By riding the vessels of knowledge, powered by the wind of reading, you will soon anchor on the shores of a very bright and prosperous future.”

Dear Shaikh Mohammed, I always wondered about the secret of life. Yet, like many people before me and many yet to come, the more I ponder on this amazing gift bestowed upon us, the more elusive the answer seems to become. Still, this has not dissuaded me from pursuing this issue further, as I remain motivated to read and learn as much as possible about the world around me. While some may deem such a pursuit futile, I am a strong believer that greater knowledge and understanding makes a person a better human being. In addition, my search for the answer to the question about the meaning of life has led me to the realisation that my mission in life is to write!

Attempting to uncover one’s purpose is probably one of the most difficult journeys in life, and maybe it is the only adventure that gives us a real value. According to the prevalent wisdom, this can be achieved through reading or experimenting. While both options are not available to each individual, as some have limited means for experimentation and exploration of the world around them, everyone should be given the chance to read.

I once read the proverb, “you cannot hide perfume and knowledge,” which I believe is an Arabic one. I would like to take the liberty to expound upon it by saying that reading is the perfume of knowledge, for only readers’ fragrance permeates every place they visit. They are the flowers that not only people can enjoy for their scent and beauty, for they also conjure a sense of wonder and happiness without an apparent reason.

I thus really admire the Arab Reading Challenge you have established, for it sends a powerful message to the Arab world and the entire world about the importance of reading and learning. Your noble actions convey your attitude toward the injustices and inequalities in this world. Reading is indeed the fundamental approach to uplifting any society out of its miseries, whatever they are. It is the first step on the path toward a positive change and is a fundamental building block of a bright future.

I have been influenced by many people, one of whom is Jorge Luis Borges, who once said: “Let others pride themselves about how many pages they have written; I’d rather boast about the ones I’ve read.” I concur with Borges, in that knowledge is not reflected by the number of books in the bookstores, but rather by how many people read them and how much of what they have read they truly comprehend. We become much better people if we allow books to change us and use that knowledge to give back to life.

I also greatly admire Ibn Arabi, who said: “A vessel that is not powered by a wind from within is a poor one.”

I can confidently say that your actions have prompted the UAE and the Arab world to start creating your own destiny. By riding the vessels of knowledge, powered by the wind of reading, you will soon anchor on the shores of a very bright and prosperous future.

Allow me to congratulate you, the winners and all the participants in this amazing endeavour. I look forward to your future initiatives, as I am sure that they will bring the real value to books in the twenty first century.