18 March 2018
Bahrain International 18th Book Fair Edition Announced, At a Press Conference at Al-Khalifiyah Library, Muharraq
Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities announced the program of the 18th Bahrain International Book Fair at a press conference held at Al-Khalifiyah Library in Muharraq, on Sunday 18 March 2018. Bahrain International Book Fair has been launched under the gracious patronage of His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, May God Protect Him. The press conference was attended by H.E Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, President of Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities, Saudi Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr Dhafer Asiri, as well as a number of other Arab ambassadors, intellectuals and media figures.
Speaking for the occasion, H.E said “ We meet here today in this historical library, renovated thanks to the generous support of Bahrain & Kuwait Bank, to announce the programme of Bahrain’s International book Fair, which is hosted this year by the city of Muharraq, celebrated as the “Capital of Islamic Culture 2018". H.E added saying “ We welcome Saudi Arabia as the guest of honour this year to display its rich culture, long history and literature through this fair. We have to say that culture is an act of resistance, the book being a perfect tool to shed light on the importance of words in enhancing cultural effervescence, amid grim and huge decrease in publication tendencies in the our Arab world.” H.E also said that the fair will present many books and publications devoted to Muharraq as the Capital of Islamic Culture 2018, events, forums and lectures, thanking all those who have contributed to the success of this fair.
Saudi Ambassador Deputy Chief, for his part, expressed his gratitude and thanks to H.E Shaikha Mai for choosing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the Guest of Honour of Bahrain’s International Book Fair 18th edition. Mr Dhafer Asiri said that this kind gesture adds a new line in the history of the mutual, extended cohesion and interdependence between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, and it embodies the historical relations that link the two brotherly peoples based on mutual understanding, cultural and historical heritage, values, customs and common social traditions. Asiri added that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will offer an array of events during this book fair, such as forums, lectures, music shows, Saudi movie screenings etc. The guest of honor program also includes photography exhibition, live painting and sculpture performances all along the exhibition, he added.
The exhibition presents the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the guest of honor for this edition, which will be held at the Arad Fort tent, that was specially designed to host the events of this year under the slogan "Muharraq Capital of Islamic Culture 2018".
Bahrain International Book Fair is a renowned cultural rendez-vous that attract many lovers of culture and reading every year in Bahrain, coinciding with 13th edition of Spring of Culture festival. The fair encourages multitudes of visitors to discover the universal value of books and publications presented by 400, local, Arab and international publishing houses, coming from 26 countries. The fair will be inaugurated on 28 March 2018 and will run until 7 April, opening daily from 9:00 am-13:00 pm and from 16:00 pm-9:30 pm, while on Fridays it will stay open until 10:00pm. The exhibition‘s 8,000 square meter space covers many accommodations, such as ,many cafés, an outdoor theater stage, indoor children’s space, lecture hall, as well as a special pavilion for the Guest of Honour, Saudi Arabia and BACA’s pavilion. Bahrain Culture Authority will provide many parking lots for visitors around Arab Fort, in addition to buses to transport them every 15 minutes, in cooperation with BACAs partners, Al-Seef commercial center, Muharraq Club, Ministry of Education and Arab Girls’ School.
The Fair willhost an array of programming and special cultural events, including
intellectual activities, presented by cooperation partners, book signing events, and others, as well as parallel cultural events, including poetry, music, literary and art criticism sessions.
Every day at 6:00 pm there will be a book signing event at Bahrain Int. Book Fair 2018, in parallel with a series of events, lectures and movie-screenings presented by Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities. At 7:00 pm there will be a number of forums, lectures, evenings of poetry, organized in cooperation with Saudi Arabia, whereby the audience and visitors will be face-to-face with many writers, intellectuals from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. At 8:00 pm visitors of Bahrain Int. Book Fair 2018 will enjoy Bahraini and Saudi live music shows and performances that will enhance the richness of the fair and reflect the message of Bahrain Culture Authority, in collaboration with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the Guest of Honour this year.
Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Centre for Culture & Research will also organize a forum after which a book launch “ Dilmun , the Kingdom of Bahrain” by world famous French writer, Gilbert Senouiet, will be announced. The book is in Arabic and will be published in French and English. In addition, the Centre will also inaugurate “ Human Heritage” encyclopaedia by Ibrahim Al-Aris and his 12 books.
The book fair will, in recognition of the cultural work importance in Bahrain and the Arab world, honour a number of leading personalities, pioneers and culture figures and cultural works by granting three prizes: Bahrain’s book Award, devoted to Saudi writers and researchers focusing on the main theme of the fair, namely “ Literature and World Formation”, Mohammed Al-Banki Award for Cultural Personality of the Year, honoring one intellectual, researcher or great cultural project initiator. The third prize is Bahrain Pearls’ Award lunched by Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities as a tribute to the contribution of Shaikha Lulwa bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, pioneer of social work in Bahrain. The Award is meant to honor her long philanthropist actions and commemorate her indefinite humanitarian care and help to the needy, mothers and children.
The Children’s Corner at the Bahrain International Book Fair will host the Book Friends section has a workshop on creative short story writing, a storytelling session for traditional Bahraini stories, participatory readings with children, a workshop on how to build a home library, and a series of workshops, in cooperation with Shaikh Salman Cultural Center, Ministry of Youth & Sports Affairs. Bahrain Culture Authority organizes this fair, in cooperation with many governmental organs such as Ministry of Works, Municipality Affairs & Urban Planning, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Information and Muharraq Municipality.
Finally, Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities would like to thank all those who helped and contributed to making this book fair a fabulous cultural and historical success, a source of inspiration. BACA extends its thanks to Gold Sponsors, Viva telecommunications company, and Silver Sponsors, Bapco, AA Car Rental. Media support is covered by the Ministry of Information and Al-Bilad newspaper.
