SAO PAULO, (Pakistan Point News - 07th Aug, 2018) The ‘1001 Titles’, the unique Sharjah-based initiative to publish 1,001 first-edition Arabic books in two years, is participating in the 25th edition of Sao Paulo International Book Fair, as part of a big Sharjah delegation, currently in the bustling Brazilian metropolis to celebrate the emirate’s selection as the book fair’s first guest of honour.
As part of its presence, ’1001 Titles’ organised a panel discussion on Sunday titled ‘Fiction Stories in UAE and Brazil’.
Featuring Majd Al Shehhi, Manager of ‘1001 Titles’; Tamer Saeed, Managing Director of the Kalimat Group; Antonio Ervan, from the Brazilian Cortiz Publishing House, the session shed light on the history and importance of folk tales, their universality and popularity in oral tradition, and its capacity to facilitate cross-cultural communication, bringing the social, cultural and economic reality of a country to fore.
Al Shehhi said, "Our participation in Sao Paulo International Book Fair is part of our efforts to ensure that the UAE is strongly represented at important international cultural events. We are here to learn more about Brazilian and other civilisations and their intellectual experiences, as well as to showcase Sharjah’s unique cultural expertise and explore opportunities for cooperation with entities specialised in publishing and literature."
She briefed the audience about ‘1001 Titles’ initiative and its efforts to enrich the cultural landscape in the UAE in line with Sharjah’s strategy to promote a love of reading as a way to improve people’s quality of life. She highlighted that reading and knowledge are playing a key role in driving the development of all other sectors, and pointed out that the second phase of the initiative with a budget of AED5 million aims to publish another 1001 Emirati first edition titles in 2018–19.
