There is much anticipation for the launch of the Muscat International Book Fair on February 23 at the Oman Convention Centre.
Coming after a year’s gap, this will be one of the first public events on a large scale. It is bound to bring book lovers, educationists, writers and publishers together for a much awaited event.
Traditionally seen as a large space with specific kiosks dedicated to individual publishers, book fairs have evolved into mega cultural events, often termed ‘festivals’, with a wide array of associated events like workshops, guest talks, interviews and even concerts and exhibitions.
This is both, a way of bringing out a variety of crowds as well as staying relevant in the digital age, where networking and browsing can all be done online.
This is a far cry from the Frankfurt book market of the 12th century where handwritten books were sold, not surprisingly, to a very exclusive group of ultra-rich clients, mainly of the church.
By 1462, there are records of books printed on the newly invented printing machines being sold in the markets of Frankfurt. The Frankfurt Book Fair remains, 500 years later, the largest trade fair for books. The London Book Festival is another very popular draw in Europe.
Elsewhere, the book festival at Guadalajara in Mexico and the Jaipur Literary Festival are two of the most famous book fairs. The latter is now coined to be the ‘the world’s largest literary festival’. It’s not entirely wrong — the organisers claim to have hosted over 2,000 speakers and had millions attending in-person over a decade, and possibly many more in the two years when the festival went online. They also now run a franchise across various cities, including Toronto, Qatar and Adelaide.
Closer home, book festivals have been popularised for over two decades. While Cairo and Beirut have had book fairs for half a century, the Sharjah book festival, the Emirates Airline Book Festival and others in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Bahrain all rake in millions in dollars, as well as attendees. The Muscat International Book Fair is also hosting its 26th edition this year. So, why are book fairs still so popular today when a book can be seen and bought at the click on a screen?
It’s mainly because book fairs have re-invented themselves to be more than a place to buy a book. It is now an experience, an opportunity to interact with writers, ask questions, listen to them read from their books, and even debate with them. It is an immersive activity for children where the open spaces create a carnival atmosphere with opportunities for drawing and painting, feeling the books, browsing through them before final selection and even sitting down and devouring a book right there and then.
The battle for the attention of a distracted mind is more real now than ever before.
Everywhere we look, there is something to catch our eye for a brief moment before going to the next attraction. Books have a tougher struggle when faced with so many competitors — audio books, e-books, free downloads and the ever present digital screen.
Book fairs have to re-invent themselves continually to stay relevant, because, all said and done, there is nothing more comforting than curling back with your favourite book — hopefully with a happy ending.
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