Once-empty Pakistan stand now full with books at Sharjah Children's Reading Festival

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Once-empty Pakistan stand now full with books at Sharjah Childrens Reading Festival

Sharjah - "We reached one day late, on April 19 and I was personally at the book fair throughout the evening."

by

Kelly Clarke

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Published: Sun 22 Apr 2018, 5:16 PM

Last updated: Sun 22 Apr 2018, 7:37 PM

A lack of flight availability from Pakistan to the UAE was to blame for the book stand which stood bare on the first day of the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF).

When Khaleej Times visited the popular fest dedicated to all things reading on Thursday (day two of the 11-day event), several passersby questioned why booth E15 'Maqbool Books - Pakistan' was empty, whilst others around it sat full of books.

Several people Khaleej Times spoke to alleged that "late delivery" of books could have been to blame, but Babar Maqbool, who represents the third generation of the family business, since reached out to Khaleej Times to set the record straight.

"We reached one day late, on April 19 and I was personally at the book fair throughout the evening that same day. I was only delayed by a day due to the lack of flight availability in Pakistan caused by local political issues of airlines," he said.

Quashing the rumours that a delay is visa processing may have been another reason for the lack of book display early on in the festival, Maqbool said it was simply not the case.

"Our visa came much before time and everything was very professional. The Sharjah Children's Reading Festival management and the Sharjah Book Authority handled everything perfectly Alhamdulillah."

And during a visit to the Festival on Sunday, the stand was chock-o-block with books; books that "take you places".

Publishing books in English as well as Urdu, its child-friendly content focuses on a range of subjects from classic Urdu tales for children, and biographies of historical personalities from the subcontinent.

As regular exhibitors at the SCRF, Maqbool said flight delays or disruptions will never stop them coming to one of the most popular reading festivals in the region.

"We have been exhibiting in this beautiful city for the past 10 years and our annual attendance is evident of our love for Sharjah and its great reading culture." 
kelly@khaleejtimes.com


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