RIYADH: Works of an intellectual bent are leading the sales race at this year's Riyadh International Book Fair, beating literature, and more specifically novels, into second place so far. Iraqi author and philosopher Ali Al-Wardi's works are doing a brisk trade, as are the writings of Saudi literary critic and figure of the modernist movement Abdullah Al-Ghadhami, but they only form a small part of sales that have so far amassed SR25 million from visitors numbering 300,000 on a daily basis. In terms of foreign literature, Portuguese novelist Jose Samarago's “Blindness” and “All the Names” are the most in demand, perhaps due to the writer's passing away last year, while the often popular works of Paulo Coelho have seen a drop in sales after heading the list in recent years. In Arabic literature, Saudi novelist Abdul Rahman Munif, whose famous trilogy “Cities of Salt” has been translated into English, is coming out top, with interest equally high in the novels of Wasini Al-Araj, Ahlam Mustaghanami, Ghada Al-Saman and Malika Awfiqir. One publisher – who wished not to be named – said that banned novels were the subject of a “great many requests”, citing some novels by Saramago and Coelho along with books of philosophy and thought, which he said were banned for “conflicting with the principles of the Islamic religion”. This year's Riyadh Book Fair has not been without its moments of controversy, with the very first day witnessing a disturbance by a group who objected to certain books and practices at the fair that they said were not consistent with religious principles, while critic Al-Ghadhami announced at the end of last week that he was pulling out of his lecture scheduled for last Sunday out of objection to several cancellations of lectures and activities at the event. A lecture by Ahmad Zuwail on the “scientific culture of Arab societies” was called off, as was a symposium on the social and cultural future of the Gulf in which writer Turki Al-Hamad was due to take part. Indian wing of splendor Guest of honor India, meanwhile, has maintained a high profile through its holding of four symposiums on the sidelines of the fair and its wing with an extensive collection of books translated into Arabic on display, such as “The Invention of India: The Life Story of Jawaharlal Nehru”, and “The Idea of India” by Sunil Khailnani, the latter being a work on the general life of India in the 20th century and its intricate and unsettled history and prominent figures. Also available in Arabic is “Wings of Fire”, the co-authored autobiography of Zainal Abidin and Abdul Kalam, former president of India and pioneer of its nuclear program, who states in its introduction: “We are all born with a sacred fire inside, and we must strive to give that fire wings so it can fill the world with its splendor”. The section at the fair belonging to King Abdul Aziz Darat has a range of works on display to visitors, including encyclopedias, atlases, books of history, literature and religion, as well as translations of books and letters by orientalists who have had an influence on the history of Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula. The King Faisal Center for Islamic Studies and Research has on offer some 100 titles of specialist Islamic studies, works on Islamic history, and books on heritage. Works for old and new Another section of interest at the fair is the used book section. With a massive selection of older works available but not necessarily filed and immediately locatable, the area has proven particularly popular with the elderly, who appear happier than other visitors to spend up to half an hour seeking out the title they are after among the books piled up on the floor. At the other end of the age spectrum are the 53 publishers of children's literature at the children's wing, where books mostly aimed at persons aged between eight and 16 are on offer along with educational games. With sales figures after the first ten days of the fair at around SR25 million, it may be no surprise to find a substantial number of shopping carts available – for a “token” price of SR15 – to help carry the resultant load. The carts have not been met with massive enthusiasm, however, and organizers say that only 1,800 are being used a day, with the figure increasing by “four or five a day”. Women account for 40% of shopping cart users, most of them, according to organizers, aged between 25 and 45 years of age. Abdullah Al-Jassir, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information for Cultural Affairs and head organizer of the Riyadh International Book Fair, said Thursday that next year's event will begin on March 3, with “new ideas for greater variety”. “We are working on new ideas for the fair which include greater focus on the role of the guest of honor,” Al-Jassir told Saudi Press Agency. “We want to make it more than a mere token presence and into a main feature of the fair.”
