Abu Dhabi International Book Fair

This year’s ADIBF – remarkably, it’s the 34th edition – has the theme ‘Knowledge Illuminates our Community’, a sentiment which brooks no argument. There are 90 participating countries, the ‘Focus Personality’ is Avicenna (Ibn Sina), the ‘Book of the World’ is One Thousand and One Nights, and the guest of honour, usually a single nation, is Culture of the Caribbean Basin.

Last year there were more than 230,000 visitors, 1,350 exhibitors, and reportedly in excess of 1.5 million books sold. All those numbers should be beaten this time around; ADIBF is a genuine force in the booming regional publishing field, and some clever extras – like a much-expanded ‘Podcast from Abu Dhabi‘ programme, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award ceremony, and a famously busy schedule of something like 2,000 lectures, panel discussions, specialised workshops and other activities – make it a good bet for the reader as well as the publishing professional.

The book fair has been extended to ten days this year; it runs 9am to 10pm from 26 April to 5 May. Admission is free, but you’ll need to pre-register.