The New Identity of Dubai Public Library

Back I am, and in my inbox waiting for me were few stories that I need to comment on.The most compelling, and I should say repelling, was a photorelease on the new identity of the Dubai public library.The release read:

Anjum Anand featured next to the display of her giant ‘book’ titled Eat Right for Your Body Type near the Al Safa Public Library, as part of Dubai Public Library’s new identity campaign. The location and title of the book has been selected to draw the attention of the public and to remind them that their choice of books and reference materials can be accessed at the Dubai Public Library.

A campaign to promote books

Reading the book’s title, however, I was reminded of many facts of the Arab World that might seem depressing for book lovers. In the year 2004, while still in Lebanon – also the year I took small job at the Beirut International Book Fair- the top-selling book was a cook book. Later in the years to follow, the top selling books bounced between the same cook book, a horoscope book and a couple of newly published “modern” poetry publications with “hot” content, whose heroes were young writers capitalising on the conflict among the old guards in the poetic scene.

So that no one gets me wrong, cook books are great, but for the lovers of the art of cooking, for newly married house wives and for single independent executives who live alone and need to cook their own meals. But to have this as a general trend is the issue in question.

This also reminds me of the dude I met on the plane on my way back, who after ruining my appetite for sleep (a food-related word ha!) with his constant talking, finally set the last straw when – trying to impress me with his enthusiasm- he said: “The thing that annoys me most is to see people reading a never-ending book”.

This also reminds me of many things. But so that I do not get carried away, I just want to go back to the main story here: The Public Library! Man! A cook book? Encourage people to read? Euffff!