Buzzing book fairs and literature festivals might be off the agenda for now due to the UAE's social distancing regulations amid the coronavirus outbreak, but Sharjah has still found a way to foster people's love of the written word.
The Sharjah Book Authority has launched a 10-day virtual reading festival, starting from Wednesday, May 27. It promises to connect writers and authors from across the world with a number of cultural, literary and poetry sessions and workshops online.
The festival is aimed at people of all age groups and nationalities, as the authority invites celebrated Arab authors and other experts from different countries to get involved.
Ahmed Al Ameri, chairman of SBA, emphasised that the promotion of science, knowledge and culture are key factors. "In these circumstances, our responsibility towards society, readers and intellectuals has naturally doubled, and we intend to harness all means to contribute to their well-being by uplifting their artistic thought and creative processes," he said.
“Now, more than ever, the role of culture, books and reading becomes more central to our lives … The Sharjah Virtual Reading Festival offers a unique digital platform for intellectuals and creative minds from around the world to connect remotely, celebrate the full diversity of humanity’s cultural expressions, and share experiences and knowledge, even as the world works to mitigate the impact of Covid-19.”
The schedule and specific details on how to access online sessions will be revealed in the weeks leading up to the festival.
In these circumstances, our responsibility towards society, readers and intellectuals has naturally doubled
The emirate has a long history of being a hub for literature and a go-to destination for readers, writers and publishers. In 1982, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, launched the first Sharjah International Book Fair.
Last year, Sharjah was Unesco's World Book Capital and a number of new initiatives were announced, including the launch of House of Wisdom, a state-of-the-art library, which will be home to more than 100,000 books, as well as a cafe and children's educational space. It was due to open this month.
The space also sits near The Scroll, a spiralling, modern sculpture inspired by Arabic scrolls and designed by British sculptor Gerry Judah.
However, amid the pandemic, a number of literary events have been postponed, including the annual Sharjah Children's Reading Festival, which was scheduled to be held between April 8 and 18.
In the meantime, Sharjah Public Libraries has given readers free access to its digital collection, which consists of more than six million e-books and other resources in about 10 languages, for three months.
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Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
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Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
