A Day at Sharjah International Book Fair | Just Keep Writing and Other Thoughts...

Nothing like a day spent around books (millions of them - well it looked like it any way) and people who love books. There were Arabic books of every shape and size. One stall had the most beautifully bound leather covers. I couldn't resist touching them even though the beautiful script on them was a mystery to me. Walking around the halls I found books in all sorts of languages and on sorts of subjects. I fell in love a coffee table size book on carpets....enough I get carried away...

What impressed me most the vast array of children's books. There were familiar ones, but most impressively there were exquisite local ones with superb illustrations. More the than the beautifully bound ones mentioned above, these books begged to held and enjoyed. I hadn't expected the fair to be so child friendly, but I am so pleased that it was. Literacy is a problem in the region and tackling this by beginning with the children to my mind is the correct way to do it....

The fair also gave me the opportunity to catch up with twitter friend and best selling writer Sara Sheridan (love meeting people in person after chatting with them virtually). Now for some more name dropping....I bumped into the fabPeter James (who shares the wonderful agent Carole Blake with me and may others) and got to know Kate Mosse...(who is published by Orion too)...

And my children would have died of embarrassment... I showed anyone who would look - a proof copy of THE CORNISH HOUSE....even had my photograph taken for a local paper with me holding it...