Support Ukrainian authors is the message at London Book Fair: 'We will be very grateful'


Saeed Saeed
  • English
  • Arabic

International publishers are being urged to buy the publishing rights to works by Ukrainian authors.

That's the message to delegates at The London Book Fair from Oleksandr Afonin, president of the Ukrainian Publishers and Booksellers Association.

Delivering a pre-recorded message as part of the panel on The Role of Publishing and Culture During Global Conflict on Tuesday, featuring Bodour Al Qasimi, president of the International Publishers Association, Afonin detailed the damage caused to his native publishing industry as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war.

“It is extremely difficult for the Ukrainian publishing business today. More than two-thirds of the country’s main publishing capacity is in the war zone.

Ukrainian publishers have no money, no paper and a lack of printing capacity. Therefore, we will be very grateful for any help from you
Oleksandr Afonin,
president of the Ukrainian Publishers and Booksellers Association

“As well as warehouses with finished productions, most of which were either destroyed by bombing or not accessible,” he said.

“Ukrainian publishers have no money, no paper and [a] lack of printing capacity. Therefore, we will be very grateful for any help from you, colleagues.

“That can be money, paper, buying rights to publish works by Ukrainian authors, giving the opportunity to print Ukrainian books in your printing houses.”

Afonin also criticised Russian publishing counterparts for releasing works that helped sow the seeds of the conflict happening today.

“For many years, they mass produced literature that cultivated in Russians a hatred of Ukrainians, of our culture and tradition,” he said.

“It was they who put into the minds of their readers the formula that Ukraine is not a state and Ukrainians are not a people and [that] they can be humiliated and destroyed.”

Oleksandr Afonin speaks at The London Book Fair via a pre-recorded video. Saeed Saeed / The National
Oleksandr Afonin speaks at The London Book Fair via a pre-recorded video. Saeed Saeed / The National

Afonin supported the moves by major literary events, including the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, to suspend partnerships with Russian cultural organisations and their presence in events.

The Russian Pavilion is also absent from The London Book Fair.

In an official statement to Publishers Weekly in March, Andy Ventris, director of the fair, said the decision was by “mutual agreement” and based on “following government sanctions and policies in each territory where we operate”.

Ukraine's presence at The London Book Fair is limited to a modest stand run by the Ukrainian Book Institute.

The stand was reportedly provided free of charge by the fair's producer Reed Exhibitions.

The Russia-Ukraine war has been discussed in two sessions of The London Book Fair.

The aforementioned event, featuring Afonin, explored the various ways the international publishing industry can support Ukrainian colleagues.

On Wednesday, the salon Dialogues of War: A Live Conversation on Ukraine featured an online appearance by Andrei Kurkov, president of the Ukrainian chapter of the international writers’ association Pen International.

More information on The London Book Fair is available at londonbookfair.co.uk

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Leap of Faith

Michael J Mazarr

Public Affairs

Dh67
 

RESULTS

5pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner AF Nashrah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)

5.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner Mutaqadim, Riccardo Iacopini, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.

6pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Hameem, Jose Santiago, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

6.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner AF Almomayaz, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

7pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m

Winner Dalil Al Carrere, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.

7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m

Winner Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.

8pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m

Winner Jayide Al Boraq, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.

While you're here

Michael Young: Where is Lebanon headed?

Kareem Shaheen: I owe everything to Beirut

Raghida Dergham: We have to bounce back

Grand Slam Los Angeles results

Men:
56kg – Jorge Nakamura
62kg – Joao Gabriel de Sousa
69kg – Gianni Grippo
77kg – Caio Soares
85kg – Manuel Ribamar
94kg – Gustavo Batista
110kg – Erberth Santos

Women:
49kg – Mayssa Bastos
55kg – Nathalie Ribeiro
62kg – Gabrielle McComb
70kg – Thamara Silva
90kg – Gabrieli Pessanha

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting

-      Don’t do it more than once in three days

-      Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days

-      Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode

-      Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well

-      Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days

-      Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates

-      Manage your sleep

-      People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting

-      Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

if you go

The flights

Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes. 

The hotels 

The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).

The Saga Continues

Wu-Tang Clan

(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
FIGHT CARD

Bantamweight Hamza Bougamza (MAR) v Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)

Catchweight 67kg Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) v Fouad Mesdari (ALG)

Lighweight Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) v Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)

Catchweight 73kg Mostafa Ibrahim Radi (PAL) v Yazid Chouchane (ALG)

Middleweight Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) v Badreddine Diani (MAR)

Catchweight 78kg Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Adnan Bushashy (ALG)

Middleweight Sallaheddine Dekhissi (MAR) v Abdel Emam (EGY)

Catchweight 65kg Rachid Hazoume (MAR) v Yanis Ghemmouri (ALG)

Lighweight Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)

Catchweight 79kg Omar Hussein (PAL) v Souhil Tahiri (ALG)

Middleweight Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Laid Zerhouni (ALG)

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Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Essentials

The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Seattle from Dh6,755 return in economy and Dh24,775 in business class.
The cruise
UnCruise Adventures offers a variety of small-ship cruises in Alaska and around the world. A 14-day Alaska’s Inside Passage and San Juans Cruise from Seattle to Juneau or reverse costs from $4,695 (Dh17,246), including accommodation, food and most activities. Trips in 2019 start in April and run until September. 
 

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Updated: April 07, 2022, 7:21 AM`