Over ten days, Riyadh Book Fair welcomes thousands of book publishers, prominent intellectuals and insatiable readers who are annually invited to take part in one of the most notable and highly recognized cultural event not only in Saudi Arabia but also in the whole Arab world. The Fair was first held in 2006 and has since attracted several bodies working in the field of book publishing and book selling. The number of visitors to the fair is increasing due to the participation of leading intellectuals, scholars and thinkers who are invited to participate in the panel discussions and conferences regularly held as a crucial part of the whole cultural event. This event, however, invokes in me several key issues that need to be shared with readers. These issues include the prevalence of censorship culture in every culture-oriented occasion, the deteriorating status of readership levels among Arabs and the total absence of a government-adopted strategy to cultivate reading as a deep-rooted culture in the society. During its past three rounds, Riyadh Book Fair has stirred a controversy due to what was widely seen as the alleged display of titles deemed inappropriate for religious, political and moral reasons. Though to a lesser extent, the invitation by the fair organizers of key intellectuals to take part in the cultural activities was no less problematic after some conservatives' protest not to do so. In order to avoid much criticism regarding that, it is feared that the Ministry of Culture and Information, the organizing body of the event, would impose further restrictions on the titles displayed, people invited and on the type of cultural activities being given during the days of the fair. This is echoed in what the officials at the Ministry have been saying recently. Abdul Aziz Al-Subail, Deputy Minister for Cultural Affairs, reiterated such policy saying, in a press conference held in Riyadh last Friday, that books of “unfavorable” religious, political and literary orientation will not be displayed. Censorship in the age of Internet is nearly impossible. Downloadable materials are easily accessible from computers connected to the World Wide Web. In what might be called a zero censorship era, it takes just minutes before a “censored” title is completely downloaded on the user's computer, a reality that is putting the whole censorship strategy on the line. Beside censorship, the status of reading in the Arab world with its consequences on book publishing is declining compared with what can be seen in other cultures and societies. The number of books published or translated in the Arab world is adversely influenced by the low distribution of books among Arab readers. Many optimists mistakenly believe that bringing in a huge number of publishers and selling books at a bargaining price would cultivate a reading culture in the society. This is a wild dream that is both unrealistic and shortsighted. The absence of reading among the interests of people in the Arab world is a frightening fact of life that needs to be addressed more faithfully to find the root causes of it and work out a proper solution. It is not hard to find the reasons for that, however. Education standards in the Arab world are deteriorating, and so are book industries which depend on a broader base of readership levels among ordinary people. Most rural areas across the Arab world are adversely affected by the lack of literacy skills among its masses. Illiteracy rates in the Arab world, according to some statistics, are incomparable with millions of people unable to read or write. Another reason is the absence of a government-adopted strategy for cultivating the culture of reading in people, particularly among the young generation. Authorities handling cultural development in the Arab world can play a role in developing long-term plans to increase people's contact with knowledge and its resources. Part of the plan, for example, may require the opening of more public libraries in local communities. Such libraries should be fully equipped with enough reading rooms for readers to divulge to and enjoy reading. The benefits reaped from having these local centers are not hard to find. Access to the book becomes easier when it is shelved in a nearby public library. Providing readers with a place for reading and reflection is a motivating factor for many people to come and stay for longer hours. While the Arab culture is endowed with a rich heritage that encourages reading, the book industry in the Arab world is suffering hugely from the abovementioned barriers that would, if not immediately addressed, continue to jeopardize any modest attempts to cultivate a reading culture that, hopefully, will help us achieve higher levels of prosperity and sustainable development.
