Abu Dhabi book fair highlights German authors, culture and art

Lt-General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, inaugurated the 31st edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) on Monday.

The fair, running till May 29 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), sees participation of more than 1,130 publishers from over 80 countries.

As the Guest of Honour, Germany offers its visitors an opportunity to discover renowned works by German authors, thinkers and artists and the country’s rich culture of arts and creative works.

At the fair organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), visitors can explore the immortal works of poet, playwright and novelist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and meet him (almost) in person in the dedicated German pavilion, introducing visitors to the long and illustrious German tradition of creativity, literature, and intellectual and theatrical works.

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The ADIBF offers a wide range of programmes for visitors of all ages and backgrounds. More than 650 events are being staged including film screenings, discussions, art workshops, children’s activities and more.

The German pavilion will host a busy programme packed with cultural and professional events with about 35 publishers present. Around 80 authors, experts, publishers and creators are taking part in more than 40 sessions, including daily workshops for children and young adults, author discussions, performances, a trade programme as well as a VR experience of Goethe’s play Faust. The programmes at the German Pavilion will focus on topics including Future Lab, Inspiration, Soccer, (Un)certainties and Translation. In addition, there will be screenings of German short films as part of the ‘Cinema Box’, and other activities that demonstrate the cultural and intellectual ties between Germany, the UAE and the Arab world.

Dr Ali bin Tamim, chairman of the ALC, said: “Human culture is passed through generations to remain accessible to people and civilisations, and to offer a gateway for different nations to exchange knowledge, beauty and art. The UAE is proud to be a meeting point, hosting various cultures and showcasing their tremendous creative output.

“We have selected Germany as the Guest of Honour at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair because of the long-standing relations we share with the German Federation across various sectors. The fair is now at the heart of our project for the creative industries; it has a tremendous impact on the knowledge economy, which, in turn, is an integral part of the UAE’s development.”

Juergen Boos, director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, said: “We are delighted to participate in this important cultural event and introduce German culture in Abu Dhabi. We have set a busy schedule of events, bringing together 10 authors and illustrators and more than 30 German publishers to display their latest works and achievements. The objective is to promote collaboration and common grounds between Arab and German intellectuals and publishers, and we look forward to being part of this event, especially after two years of distancing caused by the pandemic and its impact on the publishing industry.

“This participation is certainly an ideal opportunity to build bridges between Arab and Emirati culture, on the one hand, and German culture, on the other, and to benefit from the exhibition’s renowned status to strengthen partnership and cooperation among publishers around the world.”

• Abu Dhabi