The Ministry of Culture and Information said Thursday that Abdo Khal's award-winning novel had not been withdrawn from sale at the Riyadh Book Fair, but had instead “sold out” due to a resurge of interest following the announcement Tuesday of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. Spokesman for the ministry Abdulrahman Al-Hazza' said he was moved to speak by the rumors of a withdrawal in a report in Al-Hayat Arabic daily, and assured the public that the novel, which has come to be known in English variously as “She Throws Sparks” or “Spewing Sparks as Big as Castles”, was “available for anyone to purchase at the book fair”. “Newspapers and other forms of media need to be precise in everything they publish and should avoid publishing incorrect news that serves to create chaos and confusion at the book fair,” Al-Hazza' said. Al-Hazza' added that “one of the ministry's most important goals in holding fairs like these is to give intellectuals and visitors the chance to acquaint themselves with the latest publications in all fields, as long as they do not conflict with the censorship principles of the Kingdom's information policy and publishing regulations”. Khal's novel was sold out at the display of Al-Jamal Publishing House on Thursday, but owner Khaled Al-Ma'ali expected further copies to arrive Friday. “The novel has attracted a lot of interest from visitors,” he said.
