Doha,
(QNA) – In collaboration between Qatar University (QU), the Ministry of Culture and the Qatari Forum for Authors, the 2nd edition of Qatar University Book Fair is due to kick off Sunday until Feb. 1 at the university’s premises with the participation of 29 Qatari publishing houses and centers, including the National Archives of Qatar, the Ministry of Endowments, Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding, in addition to 8 Arab universities and research centers from Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Sultanate of Oman.
Addressing a press conference to announce the launch of the fair, Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies at QU, Prof. Mariam Al Ali Al Maadeed praised the accomplishments the QU Press has achieved in the field of scientific publishing, and peer-reviewed journals, as well as the academic references for law students in various translation fields, commending the efforts of QU Press management and staff, emphasizing the importance of organizing Qatar University’s book Fair in its second edition.
For his part, Director of the Libraries Department at the Ministry of Culture Abdul Rahman Al Hitmi commended the interest of the Ministry of Culture in supporting and diversifying book fairs in the state, because of their significance in expediting access to books and encouraging reading, pointing out that the centers affiliated with the ministry are cooperating to organize the aforementioned fair, such as Qatar Media Center and Qatar Voluntary Center.
Speaking at the press conference, Al Hitmi lauded the cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and QU, represented by QU Press, in holding the 2nd edition of the book fair after the first edition became successful, noting the pivotal role played by this cooperation in promoting culture and disseminating thought and literature, as well as fostering solid and stellar partnerships between the Ministry of Culture and QU.
Director of QU Press Prof. Fatma Al Sowaidi emphasized that since the launch of the first edition of the Qatar University Book Fair in February 2023, QU Press has been continuing its distinguished innovations and participation in the world of research and academic publication, adding that in the 2nd edition, QU Press will present the latest developments and new publications showcased to the public readers, along with the most prominent future plans and projects.
During the QU Book Fair, starting this year, QU Press will launch the event “Baqoun” (we will stay), aiming to highlight forgotten achievements in Qatari history, including material and architectural artifacts such as (Al Zubarah) and cultural artifacts such as the works of important Qatari poets of the past, Al Sowaidi said.
Al Sowaidi elaborated on the most important milestones QU Press has achieved locally and globally, adding that it witnessed a leapfrogging in receiving publishing applications, with the approved dissertations reaching nearly 97 titles, while the currently published releases reached 74 titles ranging between books, translations conferences, encyclopedic works, specialized references, literary and educational studies, and social sciences, primarily the fields of medicine, engineering, applied sciences, et al, in addition to supporting QU strategy in providing textbooks in accordance with scientific criteria.
Head of the Production Department at QU Nabil Darwish presented a detailed paper on QU Press milestones in numbers, adding that the publications reached 74 titles, including 11 collectively authored books, 15 were published in free electronic access, 13 were titles published in English, and 10 were published by QU Press in terms of translations from and into Arabic.
The number of direct authors whose works the QU Press published exceeded 77 people of different nationalities and intellectual affiliations in nearly 21 countries around the world, in addition to releasing 5 peer-reviewed scientific journals in several specializations, noting that the publishing house was capable of publishing 26 new titles during 2023.
Commenting on future projects, Head of Acquisitions at QU Press Dr. Mohamad Isam Almadani pointed out that considering the ongoing events in the region and the continuous escalation of the Palestinian issue, QU Press is currently collaborating with the encyclopedic figure, Dr. Mohammad Hashem Ghosha, to accomplish two significant works related to the Palestinian issue.
The first involves republishing the Arabic version of the book “The Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque” after its current update, with plans for an English translation at a later stage. The second work is the “Palestinian Encyclopedia,” one of the largest encyclopedias linked to Palestine and its history, published in English (in 24 volumes). QU Press will work on translating it into Arabic, as well as Spanish and Chinese, to introduce speakers of these languages and raise awareness about the Palestinian issue, he said.
For her part, Head of Marketing and Sales at QU Press Shaikha Al-Thani outlined that the current edition of the QU Book Fair is witnessing momentum and enthusiasm for participation from publishing houses and research centers locally, regionally, and internationally.
Twenty-nine publishing houses and Qatari centers, including the Qatar National Archive, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf), and the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding, are participating.
Additionally, eight universities, Arab research centers, and publishing centers from Morocco, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman are participating. (QNA)
