Germany opens its 2022 Guest of Honor program at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) this year with a 400 sqm booth where 34 German publishers will showcase their titles. Some highlights at the stand include a daily activity program for children and ‘VR Goethe’, an interactive virtual reality experience around Goethe's tragedy ‘Faust I and Faust II’. The classic of German literature has been adapted for the digital world: equipped with VR glasses and other tools, visitors can actively immerse themselves in the story.
Cultural Program
Ten German-speaking authors have been invited, amongst them Olga Grjasnowa, Anja von Kampen, Nicol Ljubic, Moritz Rinke, Judith Schalansky, and slam poet Dalibor Markovic who will be in discussion and performing with counterparts from the Arab region. Local authors and artists include Deepak Unnikrishnan, Salha Obaid, Alamira Reem Bani Hashim, Maitha Al Khayat, Dr. Afra Atiq and many more. The cultural program, organized by Frankfurt Bookfair in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut, will be focusing on these main topics: Futurelab, Inspiration, Soccer, Translation and (Un)certainties. Artists from Labor Ateliergemeinschaft, Anke Kuhl, Kirstin Fabinski and Jörg Mühle, will hold workshops for children, each morning of the fair from 10-12 am.
Film lovers can enjoy German shorts screened every day at 6pm at the Black Box Cinema.
Trade Program
Germany will also hold its own trade program at the German stand, aimed at addressing topics relevant to the Arab market and intending to encourage greater exchange. Twenty or more publishers and authors will participate, including Jo Lendle (Hanser), and Nadja Kneissler (Delius Klasing). The trade program also inc,ludes matchmaking sessions to connect international publishers with potential business partners in the Arab world.
Partners
Germany’s Guest of Honor presentation at ADIBF is presented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in cooperation with AUMA – Association of the German Trade Fair Industry and supported by Frankfurter Buchmesse. The Guest of Honor presentation is organized by LMI – Leipziger Messe International. This year’s cultural program, jointly organized and implemented by Frankfurter Buchmesse, the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region, and the German Embassy in Abu Dhabi, is made possible with support from the German Federal Foreign Office.
GoH 2022 – Cultural Programme
The Survival of Beauty is universal
Tuesday, 24 May 2022, 1:00pm – 2:00pm
German Collective Stand
Hall 8 B 05
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)
H.E. Ernst Peter Fischer in conversation with artist and book author Mindy Weisel about her compelling memoir "AFTER: The Obligation of Beauty".
German Collective Stand
Hall 8 B 05
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)
H.E. Ali Al-Ahmad, former state ambassador to Germany and France, in discussion with H.E. Ernst Peter Fischer, German Ambassador to the UAE, about “The German Experience” - the book H.E. Ali Al-Ahmad wrote about his experience in Germany while serving as the ambassador of the UAE.
German Collective Stand
Hall 8 B 05
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)
Monika Staab, the icon and award-winning role model of Women’s soccer in Germany talks with Nadia Kneissler about her life, work and famous sport: soccer! Monika Staab won many championships with her teams and is currently the coach of Saudi Arabia’s women’s national team.
German Collective Stand
Hall 8 B 05
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)
The “Labor Ateliergemeinschaft” is a studio collective of six graphic designers, illustrators and authors in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Anke Kuhl, Jörg Mühle, and Kirsten von Zubinski speak with children's book author Maitha Al Khayat about the concept of this set-up and how they are working – either individually or as a group – on a broad range of projects: children’s books, illustrations for newspapers and magazines, book covers and design, book readings, workshops, exhibitions and self-initiated works.
German Collective Stand
Hall 8 B 05
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)
German author Jo Lendle and Salha Obaid speak about their novels and the thin line between engaging the readers' fantasies and bearing the historical responsibilities.
German Collective Stand
Hall 8 B 05
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)
Set in the 1970s in Germany, Nicol Ljubić’s "Being on Fire" explores the limits of radical activism and the draw of fanaticism. The book has been published in Arabic by Sefsafa Publishing in 2021. Stefan Weidner speaks with the author about his novel.
German Collective Stand
Hall 8 B 05
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)
The interest in books on Gulf architecture has considerably grown since the last couple of years. Publishing director Björn Rosen from Berlin, Alamira Reem Al Hashimi, author of "Planning Abu Dhabi – An Urban History”, and Roberto Fabbri discuss architectural concepts, contemporary ways of building, planning and living and examples of outstanding architecture projects in the UAE and Europe.
Theatre Today – A space for Reflection and Transformation
Friday, 27 May 2022, 5:00pm – 6:00pm
German Collective Stand
Hall 8 B 05
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)
Bestselling authors Olga Grjasnowa and Moritz Rinke together with translator Sandra Hetzl discuss the German and international theatre landscape, the particularities of writing for theatre, its challenges and the options vs. writing a novel.
German Collective Stand
Hall 8 B 05
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)
World history is full of things that have been lost – willfully destroyed or mislaid over the course of time. In her book "An Inventory of Losses" Judith Schalansky dedicates herself to those aspects which the lost leaves behind: dying echoes and disappearing steps, whispers and legends, apostrophes and phantom pains. In this session, Safiya Al Maskari and Judith Schalansky speak about the different facettes of memories and loss.
Language: In German and English with Arabic translation
When Comics and Cultural Heritage meet
Saturday, 28 May 2022, 2:00pm – 3:00pm
German Collective Stand
Hall 8 B 05
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)
Comic book author Anke Kuhl (“Manno”) talks with Emirati comic artist Mohammed Alshaibani about the creation process of a comic and how the cultural heritage is reflected in the story and artworks.
German Collective Stand
Hall 8 B 05
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)
Bestselling author Pierre Jarawan speaks with Emirati award-winning spoken word poet and scholar Dr. Afra Atiq about the respective slam scenes in Germany and the UAE and about the power of writing of both slam poetry and fiction.
German Collective Stand
Hall 8 B 05
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)
Olga Grjasnowa in conversation with Deepak Unniskrishnan about the phenomenon 'Identity', how writers from abroad are represented in Germany and the UAE and which challenges they face.
Moderator Bilal A. Qureshi is a multimedia journalist with an interest in the intersection of politics, history, and culture.
Language: In English with Arabic translation
Soccer meets Culture
Saturday, 28 May 2022, 6:00pm – 7:00pm
German Collective Stand
Hall 8 B 05
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)
German author and playwright Moritz Rinke is a big soccer fan. He is an active member of the German National Soccer Team of Authors, Autonama, where he is the most successful striker of the team. In 2008, he co-published a book with football stories under the title "Title Race". With Emirati film maker Nawaf Al Janahi, a football enthusiast himself, he talks about how to acquaint football supporters with culture and the cultural scene with football.
Moderator Ali Khaled is Sports Editor at Arab News and documentary filmmaker based in Dubai. Previously he worked as a writer and editor at The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi for seven years. He also directed the football documentary “Lights of Rome” revolving around the UAE’s qualification to the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
Language: In English with Arabic translation
Live Drawing with Jörg Mühle and Simar Halwany
Sunday, 29 May 2022, 1:00pm – 2:00pm
German Collective Stand
Hall 8 B 05
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)
Well-known German children's book author and illustrator Jörg Mühle in conversation with UAE-based illustrator Simar Halwany. The artists will present their work, talk about challenges and delights in illustrating and will be ready to draw whatever the audience would like to see!