The Sharjah International Book Fair opened yesterday and, for the next 10 days, book lovers, publishers and personalities will mingle at what has become one of the staple events in the Gulf’s literary calendar.
There will be talks, workshops and even a dedicated comic book pavilion. But the fair is, at its heart, about publishing. Looked at like that, it can be puzzling why so many members of the public attend when they would not, for example, attend the Frankfurt Book Fair.
The answer lies in the crowd. Gathering spaces for book buffs are limited these days, not merely in the UAE – although this newspaper has championed the need for more accessible libraries and literary gatherings – but across the world in this digital age. The fair offers a space where like-minded readers can mix with their favourite authors and be around those who equally value the written word. It also, of course, offers the chance to binge-buy books that aren’t always easily available in the shops.
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Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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