For his part, Assistant Undersecretary for Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Culture Dr. Ghanem bin Mubarak Al Ali Al Maadeed, said in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the 2nd edition of Ramadan Book Fair seeks to publish and distribute books and expand the reading circle, as well as support Qatari publishing houses, pointing out the Ministry of Culture’s interest in organizing qualitative book exhibitions, as the first phase began in the book fair at Qatar University, and the second exhibition is being holding in Ramadan at Darb Al-Saai headquarters, in preparation for the Doha International Book Fair, which will be held next June.
He pointed out that the exhibition includes many activities that will be held daily after Tarawih prayers, including the Ramadan Majlis, which includes a group of intellectuals, and in which there will be a public discussions, in addition to the main stage, in which a group of seminars will be held in cooperation with the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, as well as a market in cooperation with the Ministry of Development and the Family, which aims to support the projects of productive families, and the main event, which is the book fair, in which 79 publishing houses from different countries of the world participate and a large part of it supports the child through special artistic workshops that aim to develop the child’s skills, as well as entertainment activities In turn, HE President of Qatar University Dr. Hassan Rashid Al Derham, said in a similar statement to QNA that the Ramadan Book Fair is one of the main initiatives to promote culture and build local capacities, pointing out that the exhibition, in its second edition, is witnessing a qualitative leap in terms of the number of participants from inside and outside the State of Qatar, in addition to the good selection of publishing houses.
The President of Qatar University added that the exhibition constitutes an opportunity for Qatari and resident families to turn up books, read, activate the cultural movement, and benefit from the presence of various publishing houses and the books they display.
On the interest of Qatar University Press in academic publishing, he said that QU found that there was a gap in the academic book that specifically concerned Qatari culture, so the university’s initiative was to establish the Qatar University Press and issuing a group of books that bridge this gap, which the press has succeeded in doing, as it published many valuable books, most of which are academic books, but they are also cultural books that target all readers of different academic and cultural levels For his part, Director of the Ramadan Book Fair Jassim Al Buainain said that the exhibition will hold throughout its days a distinguished and rich package of activities and events, including the Qatar Reads initiative, in addition to presenting a group of theatrical performances, workshops and events for children, as the Ministry of Culture is keen to develop reading skills and knowledge of the future generation. The main theater will also witness a number of cultural and religious seminars, as well as the celebration of the Arabic Manuscripts Day.
The Ministry of Culture was keen to select distinguished publishing houses from outside the State of Qatar, which are specialized in various fields of knowledge, in addition to selecting the best publishers of children’s and young adult books. All aspects of support were provided to participants from outside Qatar to enhance their participation in the exhibition’s activities.
Source: Qatar News Agency