This Just in from the Abu Dhabi Book Fair…

Video of the book fair from The National. Look at how patiently and politely those people stood around! Well, I still prefer the Cairo Book Fair’s rough and tumbleness, although it could certainly use an injection of Abu Dhabi organization.

The National also reports that there’ll be a good deal of cooking at the Abu Dhabi fair. You know, literally. And The National also has a piece about Ali Alsaloom, who wants to be your first Emirati friend (at the fair, and beyond).

Of course, most of the reportage from the fair has been about the IPAF/Arabic Booker prize, awarded to Saudi author Abdo Khal. Other, marginally related news from Khal’s hometown of Jeddah: an arson attack on a literary club.

Chad Post has “scenes from the Arabic Booker announcement,” and my favorite photograph from the fair (so far).

Chad and Edward Nawotka (of Publishing Perspectives) are also posting on the official book-fair blog. An interesting recent piece from Chad on the downsides of prize-giving.

From Edward: Abu Dhabi Launches Pan-Arab Book Distribution Company

Says Xinhua: Chinese publisher debuts at int’l book fair in UAE

The Gulf News wins for the most boring headline: Abu Dhabi International Book Fair under way. Includes a few photos.