Curtain down on 11-day Sharjah International Book Fair 2018

Sharjah - Book lovers rushed to grab last-minute discounts.

Tightly clutching an orange plastic bag filled with colourful books in one hand, and a yellow balloon in the other, seven- year-old Carol Pinto gleefully jolted towards the exit of the Sharjah Expo Centre after attending the final day of the 11-day Sharjah International Book Fair 2018 (SIBF).
Brushing aside a huge mop of curly hair off her face, an excited Carol, said: "I got eight books, I took part in an art session, and I had so much fun with my brothers and sisters at the Sharjah Book Fair."
While Carol could not hide the excitement after attending the fair, her parents David and Sheila said: "The fair is for everyone."  Sheila, the 35-year-old mother, added: "What is truly marvellous is that I was a teenager when I first attended the fair. To come back to the book fair as an adult, with my daughter and to rediscover the fair year after year, is just amazing."
Booklovers rushed to grab last-minute discounts, attended art and crafts activities, caught a glimpse of their favourite authors, and much more on the closing day.
Jacob Varghese, a coordinator with DC Books, an Indian publisher, said: "The SIBF is the most authentic celebration of the written word. It was definitely bigger than last year, the list of authors attending are attracting people from all walks of life. This year, we had the likes of Lilly Singh, Soha Ali Khan, L Subramaniam, and Nandita Das - the list attracted people of all age groups. Even on the cookery side, we had great people."
Indian national Imtiaz Ahmad said: "After Frankfurt book fair, this is the best we have. Last 20 years, I've been visiting the fair. I don't miss this exhibition. Good selection of books, and facilities are also improving every year. And it's a great opportunity to interact with many authors, writers, and poets." He added: "It is getting better over the years."
Books fly off the shelves last day
On the final day of the Sharjah International Book Fair 2018, books we're flying off the shelf as they were being sold for a 50 per cent discount, and some were sold at Dh10.
Classic titles by Roald Dahl and the Goosebumps series by RL Stein, packaged in bright new covers were exceedingly popular among young readers.
Cressida Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon series of books and the Percy Jackson collection were also popular among the younger readers, according to some of the participating publishers.  "It is testament to the fact that young people still love to read," said an exhibitor at the Al Wesam Company.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah