SHARJAH — American author Dan Brown, best known for his 2003 bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code, made his first ever appearance in the Middle East as a guest of honor at the 33rd edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2014. He talked to his fans about science, religion, book publishing, filmmaking, among others. Brown, who seldom makes public appearances as he mentioned on stage, said that he came to this part of the world because of his appreciation to his Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhamad Al-Qasimi, member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah who greatly appreciates arts and cultures. “I don't speak professionally very often, but when the Sharjah International Book Fair asks you to be part of their 33th edition, you don't say no,” he told the big crowd at Sharjah Expo. “ I have been here for three days but even with that short time I find myself deeply inspired by your extraordinary commitment to education, culture and art,” said Brown, who was deeply moved he was with Arab hospitality. When Al Qasimi asked Brown if he would be interested to attend the book fair next year, Brown responded with great interest and enthusiasm. Brown also showed his audience his first book “The Giraffe, the Pig and the Pants on Fire,” and his parents license plates, “Kyrie” translated to “Lord” for his mom and “Metric” for his dad. “I owe everything to my parents,” said Brown, whose father was a math teacher and mother was a church organist and piano teacher. Brown, whose books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 55 languages, says he was encouraged to ask questions at home as a child. Speaking about the current situation around the world, he noted that there is enormous danger that we are living these days. “Our version of the truth is absolute and those who do not think like we do is wrong. For our own survival we must educate ourselves and ask difficult questions and above all we should engage in dialogue especially with those who disagree with us,” he said. He lauded the statement of the Ruler of Sharjah who said: “It is our duty to light candles against the growing darkness,” adding, “Opening dialogues and sharing ideas are the way to understand each other.” The author said that science and religion have something important in common to focus on — which is that they are both attempting to reach an ultimate truth. There is great beauty in this pursuit and this quest for truth is what connects us as human beings. He stressed on the notion of truth being entirely subjective. One person's view might not relate to another's, but that even though we all greatly differ in our perceptions and religions, we are all united as having experiences on earth whatever label that might be referred to. Concluding his talk, Brown said: “What brought us together here tonight quite simple is books, those magic hard facts share ideas across borders, cross cultures, cross languages and most importantly cross time. So all of you write books , publish books and mainly read books.” Brown's hour-long presentation covered a variety of topics, including his childhood, feedback from fans and critics on his work, and a humorous story about what it was like to have Tom Hanks fasten Brown's kilt prior to a social gathering for the film version of The Da Vinci Code. The evening session was also attended by Al Qasimi's daughter, Sheikha Bodour, the award-winning publisher of Kalimat and other Arabic authors and intellectuals.
