A book addict browses through the shelves of Sharjah Book Fair.

Thousands of knowledge enthusiasts were united this year by the Sharjah International Book in a fascinating and welcoming atmosphere.

With full adherence to precautionary and regulatory measures, about 1,024 publishers and writers from 73 different countries have presented around 80,000 new titles to readers all over the world.

Thousands of visitors were welcomed on the first day of the Sharjah International Book Fair to experience a vast range of knowledge and innovative activities on the Sharjah Reads platform.

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers.” American academic Charles W. Eliot’s remark could not have been truer. And it holds a lot of importance, for books are the best guides to everyday existence, specially during these stressful moments of the coronavirus pandemic.

It is keeping this in mind that Sharjah is hosting the 39th edition of the annual book fair, which began today at the Expo Centre in the emirate.

It is an entirely different scenario this time.  It is a hybrid book fair, which means virtual and physical visits are being combined.

Visitors just cannot walk in as they please – they have to wear face masks – thermal scanners will be monitoring their body temperature to ascertain whether they are virus-free.

There is a time limit on their visits. Four, three-hour visitation slots are available for booking: Morning (10am to 1pm); afternoon (1pm to 4 pm); evening (4pm to 7pm); and night (7pm to 10pm).  Registered guests will be provided coloured wristbands according to their chosen time slot that will allow them entry into the venue. Time slots, once booked, cannot be interchanged.

People attend the Sharjah International Book Fair in Sharjah.

For the first time, Sharjah Police will be deploying specialist teams to ensure that a variety of health and safety measures are being carried out during the exhibition.

As far as books are concerned, there are over a breathtaking 80,000 new titles being featured this time, with over 1,000 publishers taking part.

A French publisher at the Sharjah Book Fair is displaying a copy of the Encyclopedia of Egypt and a copy of the Holy Quran translated into Latin and dating back to the 15th century.