[gallery size="medium" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" td_gallery_title_input="JOY FOR JEDDAWIS" ids="21557,21555,21556"] * Books worth SR8m sold daily * 220,000 visit the fair in 4 days Hassan Cheruppa DESPITE several complaints from Jeddwais that the venue of the International Book Fair is far away from the city center and that the timing was inappropriate due to the approaching school exams, a total of 221,939 people, mainly youth, visited the fair in the first four days, according to official figures. A head count of visitors is being made by the electronic machines installed on the main entry gates of the fair. The daily sale of books at the fair has exceeded SR8 million, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The officials in charge of the fair expect a huge turnout of visitors over the weekend. "The number of visitors even during the working days is unprecedented. The visitors included media persons, writers, cultural figures as well as school and university students in addition to large number of families and people representing all segments of Saudi and expatriate society," they said. More than a million titles are on display at pavilions of some 440 publishing houses from 25 countries. More than 100 publishing firms have arranged special sections for children, and they are drawing huge crowds. There are six podiums from where readers can buy copies of books, signed by the authors who are present. V.M. Ibrahim, executive editor of Gulf Madhyamam daily, told Saudi Gazette that the fair has virtually become a carnival of book lovers and the city residents as well. "I have witnessed huge presence of visitors who thronged most pavilions, especially those for children, on Wednesday. It was very difficult to get a parking for cars as the vast parking lots were full to their capacity and we got one after driving around the area twice," he said. Ibrahim said there was a packed audience for Wednesday's cultural program titled "The influence of media in deepening stereotyping." The speakers at the session included Ambassador Osama Naqli, Dr. Azizah Al-Manie, Ohad Kamel and Abdul Ilah Al-Sinani. A workshop on Arab calligraphy was also held on the day. Renowned Saudi writer and Arabic Booker Prize winner Abdo Khal's latest novel Sidwah Lail (A Night by Chance) is one of the bestsellers at the fair. Hundreds of fans thronged the fair to grab a copy of the novel with his signature when the author appeared Wednesday evening on the designated platform for signing books. He described the novel, which tells about the fast changes in two generations, as a healing touch to his creativity after he had suffered stroke last year that crippled his mobility for several months. Lulwa Al-Mannei, executive manager of the Dubai-based Medad Publishing & Distribution, was excited with the tremendous response from Jeddawis for the festival of books that came after a hiatus of nearly a decade. "About 1,000 people visited the fair on the first day itself and most of them were Saudi youngsters. I did not expect this much of people and it was beyond our expectations," she told Saudi Gazette. "In our bookstore, 30 percent of books are devoted to Saudi writers. We support and encourage Saudi readers. We use Twitter and Instagram for marketing books. Even in the world of smart phones and IT gadgets, people are fond of books as many of them see them as their best friends." Al-Mannei said the arrangements at the fair are amazing. "Young men and women visitors are so excited to see the books they are searching for. Most of them want novels from Gulf writers and also Arabic versions of the Western authors. Lailah Ghashiyah: Qissah Saher (The Night of Misfortune: Story of a Sorcerer), a novel from the UAE writer Obaid Bumelha, and Kunti Amyaa (You Were Blind) from the Saudi writer Lua Abid have proved to be bestsellers at our pavilion," she said adding that world renowned Saudi physician Dr. Khawla Al-Kuraya's Tastahaleen is also in high demand. Hassan Ali Alzaabi, owner of Medad, is also helping the staff in catering to the needs of book lovers. Manal Ateeq, a Saudi girl student, said: "I love reading in general, especially novels. Saudi youngsters should read more books," Ateeq said while searching for novels of her favorite authors including Fyodor Dostoevsky.
