The Abu Dhabi Book Fair has Announced its Dates and Lineup, with Egypt as the Guest of Honor

Discover Egypt's rich literary heritage at the Abu Dhabi Book Fair 2024. Explore Naguib Mahfouz's impact and cross-cultural exchange through literature.

on Mar 28, 2024

The Abu Dhabi Book Fair has Announced its Dates and Lineup, with Egypt as the Guest of Honor | Frontlist

The annual literary festival will also study the impact of Nobel Prize-winning novelist, Naguib Mahfouz.

Naguib Mahfouz's literary career will be highlighted at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

This year's festival, scheduled to take place from April 29 to May 5, will feature Mahfouz as the "focus personality" and Egypt as the guest of honor.
Expect frequent discussions with authors and cultural figures addressing Mahfouz's groundbreaking work, which enabled him to become the first Arab novelist to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988, as well as insights into Egypt's rich literary legacy.

The Books of the World event, organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre and hosted at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, is another pillar of the fair, with sessions studying an important work lauded for improving understanding between cultures.

This year's title is Kalila and Dimna, written by eighth-century Persian philosopher Abdullah Ibn Al Muqaffa. It follows the recent opening of the From Kalila wa Dimna to La Fontaine: Traveling through Fables exhibition at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

The International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries, which takes place on April 28 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, will precede the fair with panel talks on some of the most recent developments in Arabic publishing.

"The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair continues to enrich the cultural landscape of the Arab world with its inspiring initiatives," stated chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, Ali bin Tamim. "Egypt has been a pioneer in creative endeavor on many fronts, including literary, artistic, intellectual, and cognitive.

"Naguib Mahfouz is the dean of Arab novelists, a man who elevated Arab literature and the unique elements of Egyptian local culture to a global scale. He spread Arab culture to other peoples and civilizations, increasing its reach and scope while focusing light on its aesthetic quality and richness."

The book fair's entire schedule of seminars and visiting authors will be announced closer to the event.