Shah Rukh Khan, other celebrities join Sharjah International Book Fair 2022

The 41st Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) was lit as it closed its doors for the sixth day. Families, children thronged the Fair to participate in activities, educational workshops and more.

Deepak Chopra, acclaimed Indian-American author and a pioneer in personal transformation, addressed a fully-packed audience. In a session titled ‘The Future of Wellbeing’, the prolific author of more than 90 books translated into 43 languages, told the SIBF audience: “More than 50 per cent of the atoms in our body are composed of particles from intergalactic space. These atoms make up the proteins in our DNA of which 99 per cent is similar to that of chimpanzees”.

The author of NYT bestseller The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success said: “Our perceptual reality may not be the fundamental reality of the universe. Wellbeing is a state in which mind, body and the universe flows within.”

Chopra added that humans are the only biological organisms that deprive themselves of sleep, one of the most important components of wellbeing. “Lack of sleep affects our brain and emotions. It triggers trauma and depression. Emotional wellbeing begins with empathy and that is why humans consider love as the highest form of healing,” he said.

Advising the audience to keep track of sleep using available technology, the author of The Healing Self continued: “Today, health tech has advanced well enough to quantify our sleep hours and help regulate them if necessary. In our fast-paced schedule, it is important that we make use of such wearable tech to help our wellbeing and longevity.”

He went on to discuss other pillars of wellbeing and highlighted the power of meditation to heal our aura and physique. “Stress is perceived as a threat by our body and the vagus nerve is activated to heal the body. Meditation helps regulate gene activities that help healing. Our physical movements and stretching, including deep breathing, helps revitalise the abundance in energy that surrounds us within.”

Popular Italian writer, journalist and pianist Alessandro Baricco was at the Fair to educate budding writers on writing skills. He took the opportunity to tell an audience on how his book “Without Blood” was picked up by Hollywood’s Angelina Jolie for her fifth directorial project.

Baricco earned critical acclaim around the world for his works such as Castelli di rabbia (Lands of Glass), Oceano Mare (Ocean Sea), Seta (Silk) and Senza Sangue (Without Blood).

“Writing is a process when you are exploring yourselves, your childhood, your parents. It gives meaning and order to life. It is a ritual that helps us discover ourselves,” said Baricco. “So if a person has been writing for 20 years, you will find a person that is well balanced and harmonious.”

A fun and informative workshop on insects and bugs caught the attention of young minds. A session titled, ‘Connecting with Fascinating Creatures: Insects and Bugs Discovery’, enabled children to take a closer look at different species of small bugs. The sights and sounds inside ensured a very interactive session with the children. During the workshop, the young participants also watched a short animated movie on different insects and flies, with a short description of each.

Anime and Manga series were in focus at SIBF with a number of activities lined up for visitors to get hands-on experience in building comics.

In a session titled ‘Create a Digital Comic’, young participants were introduced to the basics of creating the character of their choice. Workshop attendees also learned the process of developing a character to a comic, starting from creating panels and speech bubbles to finalising the techniques.

Families at SIBF enjoyed a 30-minute workshop where they formulated an action plan to curate a photo frame of their choice. Accomplished filmmaker and workshop facilitator Hasan Al Moussawi gave tips to photographers and hobbyists on how to handle the camera.

A baby in a plant pot, toddler in a teacup, and a boy jumping out of stage were some of the images created at the ‘Perspective Photography’ session.

Italian restaurateur, author, and television personality, Alessandro Borghese, made an animated entrance, full of energy, at the Cookery Corner. Sporting a chef’s knife and a sharpening tool he greeted the large crowd which had gathered to watch him cook. After introducing himself Borghese invited guests to listen to a story he had to describe how he created one of his most famous signature dishes, Peat Duck.

“I was once taking a walk with my beautiful wife and daughter around a lake that had a picturesque orange tree at the far end. It was coming to winter and it was a misty day but there were many ducks splashing around, eating the algae and doing what ducks do. While my daughter was intrigued by the little birds, all I could think about was how I could possibly prepare them as a meal,” he said to a great deal of laughter from the crowd.

The Sharjah Child Friendly Office (SCFO), a subsidiary of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) launched a captivating sci-fi book titled My Childhood in Fifty Years’ Time. The book has been created through the eyes and thoughts of children and published as a result of significant literary and education-related efforts in the Arab world, where children predict what the UAE would look like in the future as a leading technologically-advanced society.