The Al Ain Book Festival 2023, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, continues for the 4th day with a variety of entertainment, educational, artistic, and cultural programmes at the various festival locations.
A night dedicated to the poetess “Matla'a Al-Shams” will be presented at Qasr Al Muwaiji, exploring the life of the poetess and her achievements, as well as the progression of her poetic ability from its inception to the contents of her most recent collection, "Qalayid", comprising more than 40 poems.
Two consecutive sessions of the cultural programme will be held at Bait Mohammed bin Khalifa. The initial session, "Meet the Winners of the 2nd Edition of Kanz Al Jeel Award", will provide an opportunity to meet the awardees and their influential works in various fields, including arts, poetry matching, poetic publications, studies and research, and creative personality, all of which have contributed to the development of Nabati poetry. Also, and with the participation of Iraqi artist Dr Naseer Shamma, the second session pays tribute to the late Iraqi poet Karim Al Iraqi and late musician Yas Khader, highlighting some of their works.
The cultural programme session "Autobiographical Literature in the UAE, Between Paper and Digital" at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) examines the degree to which autobiographical literature is present in the Emirati cultural sphere, the ways in which this presence manifests itself between paper books and digital blogs, and strategies for promoting this literary genre in the Emirates. Additionally, it examines the rise of autobiographical literature on a global scale, particularly in the Arab World, the advantages that biographical literature has gained from the current digital revolution, the key contributions that define it in Emirati literature, the degree of overlap between literary genres in Emirati biography, and the most significant factors contributing to the development of autobiographical literature at the local level.
Furthermore, Al Ain Square organises several inventive artistic workshops as part of its artistic programme. These workshops include one that fosters artistic creativity by colouring on rocks and transforming solid mediums into various shapes; and another that instructs the fundamentals and techniques of ink drawing by arranging and forming dazzling formations and utilising alcohol ink to manipulate the ink's motion. In the afternoon, participants will also have the opportunity to learn the process of drawing on canvas bags, beginning with a simple drawing scheme and concluding with a fully realised design that reflects each individual's preferences, after which they will have the opportunity to engage in a hands-on workshop where they will be instructed in the art of charcoal drawing using a variety of industrial and natural charcoals.
Lifestyle-minded individuals will have the opportunity to engage in "Yin Yoga" at Al Qattara Arts Centre. This practise involves holding deep breathing exercises and extended pose holds, and it enhances the body's posture, promotes relaxation and overall well-being, alleviates stress, and increases flexibility. Additionally, visitors will have the chance to participate in an aromatic candle crafting workshop, which provides the opportunity to gain new skills.
As part of the children and youth programme activities, Al Ain Square will hold the "Use It Again" workshop, conducted as part of the Year of Sustainability activities, and organised to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and the quality of environmentally friendly tools and materials. Our young visitors can also attend and learn from an interview titled "How Reading Formed My Personality" with Amna Al Mansouri, the champion of the 2023 Arab Reading Challenge. And in the afternoon, children will enjoy the reading of the interactive story “Sa’afah Saif”, which will encourage their love of reading, as well as a session titled "Sustainability of Talents" discussing the significance of preserving and ensuring the sustainability of talent, as well as the role of reading in enhancing and developing skills, with the objective of cultivating children’s dialogue, recitation, and presentation skills.
