Sharjah International Book Fair Opens Tomorrow � Arabic Literature (in English)

Sharjah International Book Fair Opens Tomorrow � Arabic Literature (in English)

OCTOBER 25, 2010...7:12 AM

Sharjah International Book Fair Opens Tomorrow

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The Sharjah International Book Fair opens tomorrow, and—although perhaps not as glittery as the March fairs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi—it’s reportedly the second most well-attended book fair in the region. This follows our slightly crowded (2 million visitors), slightly chaotic (line? what line?) exhibition in Cairo.

Presumably (since they’ve already produced a schedule), the Sharjah festival will be a bit more professionally oriented and organized than Cairo, while continuing to share some of Cairo’s openness and accessibility.

Headlining personalities at this year’s Sharjah fair include French novelist (and Nobel prize-winner) Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, Egyptian novelist (and “Arabic Booker” winner) Youssef Ziedan, and former CNN Middle East correspondent Octavia Nasr (who was dismissed this summer after a tweet about cleric Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, but has since started a new venture).

Far from shying from social media since summer, Nasr’s official site includes listings for a Dubai “tweetup” on October 27 as well as GeekFest Beirut.

Another major headline at the fair is the 1 million AED Etisalat Prize for Arabic Children’s Literature, which will be awarded on the festival’s opening day. (Good luck, everyone!) Shortlisted titles include two from Egypt (النقطة السوداء by Walid Taher and فرحانة وسر جمالها by Rania Hussein Amin) as well as the Jordanian (أحلام ورقة), Lebanese (أفتش عن هواية), and Palestinian (تعال العب معي) works.

There’s also a focus on science fiction (author Kevin Anderson will host a workshop), manga (workshops from Yishan Li), as well as other events to attract new and non-traditional readers.

Previews of the fair

Sharjah book fair to write a new chapter

Zidane, Le Clézio, Nasr set for Sharjah Book Fair

مشاركة لأكثر من مائة ناشر مصرى بمعرض الشارقة للكتاب

Follow the fair on blogs

http://www.lisadempster.com.au/

ArabLit, insha’allah

Follow the fair on Twitter

Follow the official @shjintlbookfair (English and Arabic), @ArabVoicesSpeak(Samar Dahmash Jarrah, English and Arabic) as well as @lisadempster. Other people likely to tweet a bit about the fair are @Bodour (Bodour Al Qasimi), @WafaKBR (Wafa Khalfan BR) and @ArabLit. The hash tag for all and sundry is #shjibf.

My search for the secrets of the UAE's beating heart

My search for the secrets of the UAE's beating heart

The mere mention of the name "United Arab Emirates" is enough to conjure passionate responses. Even among those who have not visited it, their opinions tend to be polarised between venomous distaste or alluring admiration. And yet their zeal – whichever opinion they opt for – is almost entirely based on what they believe the emirate of Dubai to be.

But of course as you, my intelligent, well-versed readers will know, Dubai is only one of the seven emirates that form the United Arab Emirates.

When it comes to the UAE, I must confess that I fall into the category of Allured Admirer. So when I received an invitation to speak at the Sharjah International Book Fair, which takes place this week, it was impossible for me to refuse.

Over the years, I've been to Dubai for short stopovers, marvelling at the growth of the city's buildings, its energy and its importance and of course its traffic. Despite the proximity to Sharjah, I've not yet been to this neighbouring emirate. But I'm excited. And intrigued.

I imagine Sharjah to be the genteel, cultured, picturesque older sister of Dubai. Or perhaps an aunt, or grandmother with the wisdom of age and the insight of family, history and culture. I envisage her to be a woman in whose trail is the fragrance of springtime, and whose elegant abaya floats gracefully on a wave of heritage and modernity, as she walks besides her brothers Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Of course, its reputation as a place of culture and museums away from the commercial bustle of Dubai is what gives it this branding. And this is cemented by the fact that my first visit to Sharjah will be to speak at a book fair of 28 years' standing, and where, as an author, I will get to interact with a reading public. This, of course, is one of the greatest joys for a writer.

The two emirates that I am more familiar with - Abu Dhabi and Dubai - intrigue me. They are mysteries to be solved, and whose palpating spirit must surely be hidden beneath their shared reputations for shopping, finance and skyscrapers.

I've also been investigating the lesser-known siblings of Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm al Qaiwain. Will they reveal themselves to me, or must I find tactics to seduce them into unveiling their geographic, cultural and scenic treasures?

I've been scouring the information available to me, trying to find the hidden beauties and cultures of the UAE. But, surprisingly, this is extremely challenging. Whenever I ask locals what there is to do they say: "Shop! And then shop some more!" And all the internet offers are saccharine lists of the "Top 10" places to visit, eat or shop.

Instead, I'm searching for the secrets that will help me locate the throbbing heart of these emirates.

As I write these words, staring out of the rain-flecked window of my home in the damp, cold autumn of London, it is hard to know whether these visions and wishes are of a romantic writer or of someone aching to travel away from the coming, grey cloudy gloom of Britain's wet winter.

Perhaps the answer is simpler than that. Perhaps the UAE will live up to this reverie.

Ask me again after I've returned from the Sharjah International Book Fair and my travels in the UAE, and I will share these secrets with you.

Shelina Zahra Janmohamed is the author of Love in a Headscarf and blogs atwww.spirit21.co.uk

Octavia Nasr / Blog

Octavia Nasr / Blog

Friday, October 22, 2010

Octavia Nasr Launches Bridges Media Consulting with a Middle Eastern Tour-

October 21, 2010 -- Atlanta, Georgia -- Supporters, friends and fans of Octavia Nasr who count on her voice for a balanced perspective on the Middle East, are now able to experience her Bridges Media Consulting, a company she’s launching with an international tour this month.
As President and CEO of Bridges Media Consulting, Nasr brings more than 25 years of journalistic experience to lead clients through bridging differing voices and talents using best practices in engagement. Her consulting firm will bring voice to a vast “middle perspective” that she believes “lacks a voice.” Through training and consulting, she will assist media organizations and individuals shrink gaps that exist in conflict to create productive and successful communication.

Nasr has a vast experience in traditional media and is one of the pioneers in integrating social media in conventional newsgathering and reporting. “I’ve been on both the successful and perilous receiving ends of social media and have a lot to offer in terms of how traditional media need to evolve to meet new challenges,” she says. Nasr believes her company will help clients figure out the roles different media platforms - citizen journalism, traditional reporting, blogging and social media – play in news gathering and building credible stories and trustworthy news bulletins. She recognizes that citizen journalists are not professional journalists and vice versa, but she truly believes in a role for both of these entities and others for delivering informed and engaging stories. “Through Bridges Media Consulting, we hope to bring expertise and thought leadership to organizations and perspectives in conflict – domestic and global” she says.

Nasr is launching her company with an international tour starting in the Middle East and North Africa. In the United Arab Emirates, she will take part in the Sharjah International Book Fair, then onto Lebanon where she will meet with potential partners and clients, and Morocco where she will moderate a panel of U.S. Arab and Israeli negotiators and diplomats on new initiatives to restart the Middle East Peace Process at the 2010 MEDays Forum. The tour will end back in the United States at the Harvard Business School’s MENA Conference where Nasr will talk about Technology and The Media. “This tour will allow me to strengthen many relationships I’ve developed over the years,” she says. “It will also highlight my expertise as a Middle East journalist and analyst in addition to the social media role I have been cultivating over the past few years” she adds.

Companies and organizations that value Nasr’s diversity and deep knowledge of the traditional and new media landscapes can now tap into her vast experience to “build new bridges or repair broken ones.” Nasr brings to the table a unique perspective and expertise. Her goal, she says, “is to continue to make a difference in the world through Bridges Media Consulting.”
Bridges Media Consulting is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with a target clientele worldwide.


Octavia Nasr Tour:
Sharjah International Book Fair
October 26 - 29
Sharjah, UAE
http://www.sharjahbookfair.com/


Octavia Nasr Dubai Tweetup
October 27
Dubai, UAE
http://tweetvite.com/event/acwx


GeekFest Beirut
Beirut, Lebanon
http://geekfestbeirut.com/


MEDays 2010
November 12
Tangier, Morocco
http://www.medays.org/


HBS MENA Conference
November 21
Boston, Massachusetts
http://www.harvardarabweekend.org/

For more information, use the contact link at the top of this page.

Labels: Bridges Media Consulting, Media

Nightline in Conversation: Sharjah International Book Fair

Nightline in Conversation: Sharjah International Book Fair

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Sharjah International Book Fair

29 years young the Sharjah Book Fair is starting next week!

www.sharjahbookfair.com

It is a wonderful free event that champions Arabic and English language literature, with an eye on the UAE!

Sharjah International Book Fair coming up! | R A Y A | agency for Arabic literature

The Sharjah International Book Fair will be taking place from October 26th to November 6th, 2010.

The 29th edition of the Sharjah international book fair is held at the Expo Center of Sharjah.

This 10-day annual event draws a total of 750 publishers showcasing books from nearly 42 nations, and attracts over 400,000 GCC visitors.

Yasmina Jraissati, RAYA agency, is part of this year’s guest speakers. See you there!"

البرامج الثقافية لمعرض الشارقة الدولي 1للكتاب 2010 (1).(English dates and times incorporated) - Google Docs

Image by Kuwait-Ra'ed Qutena via Flickrالبرامج الثقافية لمعرض الشارقة الدولي 1للكتاب 2010 (1).(English dates and times incorporated) - Google Docs

Sharjah Book Fair - Google Map (Site Location)

Sharjah Book Fair - Google Map (Site Location)

Free Parking on-site

Culture Programme 29th Book Fair (Arabic) - Google Docs

Culture Programme 29th Book Fair (Arabic) - Google Docs

ChildrenProgrammes 29th Book Fair (Arabic) - Google Docs

ChildrenProgrammes 29th Book Fair (Arabic) - Google Docs

Sharjah International Book Fair � Zohra Saed

Sahar Muradi and I will be vlogging from the Sharjah International Book Fair Oct. 26-Nov. 1 (Although festival goes on til Nov. 6). We will be debuting One Story, Thirty Stories (Afsanah, Seesanah): An Anthology of Contemporary Afghan American Literature at #SHJIBF

More details soon!

Radio appearances by the team over past couple of days.

Image via WikipediaJames Piecowye of UAE's Dubai Eye radio show "Nightline" graciously gave us the whole hour to discuss next weeks Book Fair, click here to listen as Aisha Al Hashemi explains the background and anticipated events this year.


Following an evening in the studio, this morning an interview was done by 'phone with Jessica Swann, host of "Dubai Today", and her co-host Alexander McNabb, listen here and please excuse background noise!


We are still looking for our overseas guests to meet as many members of the community as possible, so please feel free to email "shjibf at gmail com", alternatively visit either our Face Book page or Twitter, both accessible to your right on this screen.

Anatomy of a (Twit)Book Club meeting

October 16th 2010

11 o’clock, I arrive at Wild Peeta, the current venue for our book club gatherings.  The place is quiet on a Saturday morning, so it is the ideal location to host our sometimes loud and often bizarre discussions.  Nominally the meeting kicks off on the hour, but I only see @TDAllonsy, set up behind her mac.  “UAE time,” she says with a sigh.  I empty my pockets at my seat, a habit I display when my better half is not around to supply carrying capacity in the form of a handbag, and get a coffee.

We catch up, and the others start trickling in – @WajihaSaid, who charged herself with snapping some pictures of the meet. Which of course didn’t stop half of everybody else from later on snatching the camera to try their hand at it. @Theregos, who as always provides the extra incentive in the form of cupcakes.  Today it was coffee and walnut. Enough said. @Zooberry, @Shaahima, @Hamna_ (dubbed our resident Niqabi), @Aabo0 and @RupertBu, the man behind the twitter handle of the Sharjah International Book Fair (@ShjIntlBookFair / #shjibf).

Order is brought to the table and we settle down to the business of the day. First on the agenda is discussing the choices made two months back.  Previously titles used to be discussed one month after being selected, but people found it hard to find availability in the local stores, so the gap was widened to two months for this purpose.

Next up we discuss each person’s submission for next month’s selection, after which a vote is taken to choose three.  Other book clubs might choose just one per meeting, but in our case the idea is to have a wider selection to read from to further encourage reading.  Previously four books used to be chosen, but now, to keep true to the “Twit” element of the TwitBookClub, the last book is chosen via online submissions and voting.  Current selections can be seen here.

To see the full tweet-by-tweet update on the goings on, you can either lookup @TwitBookClub(the official twitter handle for the club), or search twitter using the hashtag #TwitBookClub to catch other people’s contributions to the conversation.  I would have liked to include a snippet here on the post, but I have on this occasion found myself to be technologically impaired.  Note to non-Twitter users: the “at” sign @ indicates the twitter handle, or nickname, a person uses on Twitter.  The “number” sign, properly known as a hashtag, is used to index certain terms so that one can search tweets containing said terms and keep track of such mentions.

Before closing Rupert briefed us on the upcoming Sharjah International Book Fair (26th Oct – 6th Nov), now in its 29th edition.  Previously this used to showcase literature in Arabic only,  whereas this year they opened up the scope to include English literature.  A number of authors and industry names will be making an appearance in talks or workshops, among them:

• Zohra Saed & Sahar Muradi (American Afghan lecturers and authors of “One Story, Thirty Stories”)
• Samar Jarrah (author of “Arab voices speak to American Hearts”)
• Yasmina Jraisatti (First European based Arabic Literary Agent)
• Shelina Janmohammed (Number 1 best selling author of “Love in a Headscarf”)
• Octavia Nasr (previously with CNN)

Other info, date and location details on the site.

People sometimes exclaim on twitter that they didn’t have the time to read any of the selections, usually on the eve of the meeting.  It is a misconception that reading the books is compulsory, when in fact it is not.  It is desirable of course, as that’s the point of the whole show, but anyone is welcome to come and join the discussion.  In the end it is just a gathering of like minded people discussing a common interest.

Octavia Nasr / Blog

Octavia Nasr / Blog

How social media changed my life? Here is a tease!

My one graph response to a Twitter friend's blog post can be broken down into these quotes:

"Social media added the social to my life and made my teenage dream of making our world a more tolerant place closer to reality."

"The diversity of amazing people I came to know and love on social media is beyond description."

"Social media, here is a place where everybody interacts with everybody else and expresses opinion without boundaries."

"I also learned that some villains can use the same social media tools that you and I use for good, to manipulate, instigate, smear, destroy and create havoc."

"The best person I met through social media lifted me up, lent me his giant wings and re-taught me how to fly!"

"In social media you have the time and place to choose your friends. When successful and true, these relationships can be solid gold."

"Having been on both the successful and perilous receiving ends of social media, I remain a committed fan."

We're hearing many discussions and reading even more commentaries these days about how social media impact our lives. Some analysis floating around are really good, stemming from committed and tested relationships with social media. However, most of the chatter remains irresponsible and in some cases flat out ignorant of the basic workings of social media.


It is important that we all speak out about our experiences with these new media. The point is that they are NEW; we're all experimenting with their moving, shifting and constantly changing parts. We're learning, and learning is a process that takes time, commitment and many trials and errors.


No one can claim today that they really dig the mechanics of social media. It will be a long time before we truly understand them, let alone master them.


At every chance you get, you should make your voice heard. That's how we will continue to learn and build a solid basis for these new media that we're already involved and invested in. By speaking out, we can debunk the myths and allow for the social media to grow and serve their better purposes of connecting, bridging, informing, socializing, sharing, making friends and creating communities.


Below is Ozzi's blog post along with many responses including mine. Feel free to share your social media experience there. Ozzi is a professional software developer and contributor to Lebanon's first Tech online magazine, GIGAlb. Most importantly, she is a serious user of social media who easily connects with others. Her bubbly personality and friendliness are what make her a natural leader in a small but very active on line community in her country.


@FunkyOzzi


New Post:How did Social Media change your life? http://bit.ly/cYQM54

Emerging Writers Festival → Festival connects with Sharjah #shjibf

We are delighted to announce that EWF Festival Director Lisa Dempster has been invited by the Sharjah International Book Fair to attend their literary festival in October this year (all expenses paid!).

Impressed with EWF’s innovative TwitterFEST and EWFonline programs of 2010, the Sharjah Book Festival has extended an invitation for Lisa to speak on the topic of literary social media and emerging writers in Sharjah. This is a testament to the growing International reputation of the Emerging Writers’ Festival as an innovative literary event, and a great opportunity for Lisa’s professional development.

This new connection with the Sharjah International Book fair is a direct result of Lisa’s attendance at the Edinburgh Book Festival which was only made possible with the support of our fantastic donors and sponsors.

This cultural exchange will not only enable EWF another opportunity to shine on the International stage but contribute to the strengthening of Melbourne’s position as a UNESCO City of Literature. Success begets success!

This visit to United Arab Emirates and her attendance at the Sharjah Book Fair will additionally enable Lisa to connect with a growing international literary community and create new and exciting opportunities for our writers and festival audience at home in Australia for 2011 and beyond.

Lisa will once again be blogging about her experience at Sharjah Book Fair and also tweeting from the @emergingwriters twitter stream – a great opportunity to get an insight into this bilingual literary event.

Yet more of our friends locations across the WWW! (Quite a diverse bunch, we think)

They say that there is a glass ceiling for me because (as Michael Moore would put it) I am not a stupid white man. Another they says I should temper my passions and desires, my dreams and ambitions because I am not a brown be-turbaned man. Some Theys say that I should fight my oppression, that I should rout it and defy it. Some say I face no oppression, that I should be happy that I am blessed and should accept my fortunate and happy lot. If you are not with us, they say, you are with the others, and they are wrong.

Spirit21 is a space to bring colour to this monochromatic world. I don’t believe that black or white are the only options. Why not pinks, blues, yellows or browns? I am not us, nor am I Other.

I am me.

The Emerging Writers’ Festival (EWF) exists to promote the interests of emerging writers – to improve their opportunities for professional development and their engagement with the broader public.

The Festival mixes emerging literary professionals with more established writers to forge a better understanding between the past and future of Australian writing, and to bring a high level of intellectual endeavour to all the Festival’s activities.

Princes in Disguise

Recently, over at All About Romance, a thread started up about happier endings and tragic ones, and the discussion digressed, as it sometimes will do, to a lively debate about Jo in the book Little Women -- specifically, whether Jo's choosing Professor Bhaer over the younger, more passionate Laurie was really a true happy ending. I argued it was. And not only because he was played in the movie by Gabriel Byrne, so that now I imagine him looking like this..
...because let's face it, Laurie was not such a bad-looking guy in the film, either.
No, it's because the professor is one of those heroes I love best: a prince in disguise.
Samar Yazbek’s new book ‘In her mirrors’

[26 Sep 2010 | No Comment | 4 views]

Samar Yazbek, author of ‘Clay’ and ‘Cinnamon’, has very recently published ‘In her mirrors’, that RAYA agency also represents for world translation rights.

Read the full story »

Hopefully, this will give you a flavour of the diversity we so enjoy on this blog!

the arabophile

Which all goes to say that, for me, the Arabic language is oceanic in nature and can absorb anything into its vast genetic pool… I think the time has finally come to treat Arabic as a great reservoir, a live magnet that can absorb foreign influences today as easily as it did in the past. – Sargon Boulus

Perusing the papers

There was plenty of news papery bits last week (and weekend) – includingAndrea Byrne’s article on the rise and rise of the Children’s Book Festival -

We’re delighted to be showcasing such a strong contingent of Irish authors and illustrators in this October’s programme, including both new names and familiar faces. In such a challenging year, it is also incredibly positive that we are able to maintain the festival as a truly national event. It really is testimony to the creativity, talent and enthusiasm to be found around Irish children’s literature at the moment, from the artists and publishers who produce the books, to the teachers and librarians who do so much important work on the ground.
- Tom Donegan (Children’s Books Ireland)

And elsewhere – it’s official… The Irish Times loves Oliver Jeffers.

Read Kutub KIDS

الكتب! الكتب! الكتاب! For children and parents interested in Arabic kid lit

And, Right on Time For Banned Books Week…

The Israeli Education Ministry apparently has decided that the various book bannings I wrote about Saturday were insufficient. According to Ha’aretz:

The Education Ministry summoned the principal of a Sderot area high school for consultations after the school was found to be using a banned textbook that includes material on the Palestinian narrative of the Israel-Arab conflict.

The ministry recently instructed the Sha’ar Hanegev high school to cease using a history text that offers both the Israeli and Palestinian narratives of the conflict. The material in the book is taught as part of an enrichment, five-unit history class initiated by the school.

Now reachable at: shjibf@gmail.com

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