Hi everyone,

Abu Dhabi Book Fair took place from 24-30 April at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. It’s always nice to get the opportunity to visit the capital and connect with like-minded people there. There was so much to see, Colette and I divided our time so we could cover as much as possible. It was great to see what was happening in the e-Zone as we are very interested in new technology in e-publishing and digital content. Future SOW plans….! Colette attended the talk by the National Media Council on the future of publishing in the UAE. It was a good opportunity to meet our friends from NMC and get advice and guidance, while also offering insight into self-publishing here, as we are. The coffee wasn’t too bad either! 😉

We are strong supporters of other local authors and it was great to see Divyata Rajaram contributing to the  Professional Program. Colette attended Divyata’s Masterclass on Editing & Publishing which was invaluable. I visited on Friday and watched Maitha Al Khayat’s reading and puppet show from her wonderful book My Own Special Way to a group of enthralled children, my daughter included! Being an illustrator, I was immediately drawn to the Illustrators’ and Art Corner.  What a great platform for established and emerging illustrators to showcase their work and meet publishers.

Of course the event is essentially a book fair, and since I had my daughter with me, I wasn’t leaving empty handed! We also took the opportunity to visit the beautiful Louvre Abu Dhabi en route from Dubai. The Rembrandt, Vermeer and the Dutch Golden Age exhibition is simply stunning. So all in all a wonderful cultural day out was had.

Ramadan Kareem

Leona