Abu Dhabi International Book Fair set for 33rd edition

The 33rd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) will run from April 29 to May 5 with Egypt chosen as the guest of honour.

Naguib Mahfouz, the late Egyptian literary figure, has been chosen as the focus personality for this year's edition, scheduled to take place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).

As the first Arab writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988, Mahfouz's works have contributed to enriching the Arab literary heritage.

The translations of his novels into different languages have played a pivotal role in drawing international attention to the world of Arabic fiction.

Among the innovative programmes introduced by Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) at ADIBF 2024 is the 'Books of the World' programme, which spotlights outstanding work that has shaped human civilisation over the years and has influenced cultures in unique ways.

This year's book of the world is Kalila and Dimna by Abdullah Ibn Al Muqaffa.

Regarded as a top-grade Arabic book by Arab critics, Kalila wa Dimna has earned the distinction of being among the four outstanding books alongside Al Mubarrad's Al-Kamil, Al-Jahiz's Al-Bayan wa al-Tabyin and Ibn Rushd's Al-Umdah.

It serves as an excellent representation of the cultural synthesis between civilisations, based on its origin that combines languages such as Sanskrit from India, Pahlavi from Persia and Arabic elements.

In parallel to the book fair, an engaging art exhibition titled 'From Kalila wa Dimna to La Fontaine: Travelling through Fables' will be hosted by Louvre Abu Dhabi, complementing this literary exploration.

The @LouvreAbuDhabi hosted a session titled “From Kalila Wa Dimna to La Fontaine: Travelling Through Fables”, where participants discussed the book "Kalila Wa Dimna", translated from Arabic into many other languages. Across ages, its pages have portrayed a shared image of values,… pic.twitter.com/iWaOgc3Slz

— AD Int Book Fair (@ADIBF) March 27, 2024