By Farah Ahmed Al Marzooqi
ABU DHABI – OK, it is true that many students don’t exactly love books, but we do realize that they are important.
Of course, we do realize that books can be fun, so I decided to go to the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at ADNEC on 9 May 2015 with my cousin, sisters and friends.
It was really nice seeing people of different ages and nationalities all gathered in one place, pushing their carts full of books around ADNEC’s huge exhibition halls. The atmosphere was filled with the love of reading and learning.
Some booths were beautifully designed and had amazing touches. My favorite booth was the one for the Higher College of Technology, which was full of media and art students who designed and drew very strikingly on the booth walls. The news media had interviews with each student, who had a chance to show her work to the public.
However, the most remarkable part of my trip to the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair was seeing my cousin, Manal Mohamed Al Marzooqi, launching her first book. Its title is “Multilingualism in Emirati Society.”
Ms. Manal, a technical instructor at NYU Abu Dhabi, received her master’s degree in Arabic at the College of Islamic and Arabic Studies in Dubai. Her research in this book concerned how the United Arab Emirates is an example of a society that is multi-lingual, and she looked at its impact on the various communities in the country. She talks about this in her first book and goes deeper and deeper into the subject.
Our family members are so proud of Ms. Manal’s accomplishments, especially publishing her first book. This is a huge step in her career, one of which our entire family is proud.
So, yes, books – and book fairs – can be fun.
This story was originally published on June 15, 2015. It was re-uploaded on Dec. 25, 2020.
