São Paulo – The 22nd São Paulo Book Biennial, which started on Thursday (9), at the Anhembi exhibition hall, promises ten days of an intense literary programme with talks, autograph sessions and debates. The Arab world is also participating in this celebration of literature and represents an option for audiences.
The Islamic Centre in Brazil, from São Paulo, should use the Bienal to attract children. Comic Nabil is being released this year and will be distributed to children visiting the institution’s stand. The six Islamic schools operating in the country (four in São Paulo, one in Foz do Iguaçu and another in Curitiba) should also receive copies. According to the director of the publication, Nasser Khazraji, the objective of the magazine is to show the infant public the values of Isalm.
“In the last Biennial (in 2010), we received around 10,000 visitors at the stand, but we had nothing that appealed to kids. Now, we are releasing this magazine specifically for them. Children have no bias and find it easier to absorb what is new. Through them, we also attracted adults,” he said.
For older people, the Centre is releasing book A filosofia transcendente de Mulla Sadra (The transcending philosophy of Mulla Sadra), about the thoughts of the philosopher in the book title, who lived in 1571 (979 in the Muslim calendar). Among his theses was that everything in nature, including celestial bodies, live a significant change through their own force. “Mulla Sadra created philosophical theories for questions that were still unanswered at the time,” said Khazraji.
The Federation of Muslim Associations of Brazil (Fambras) should use the Biennial to promote Islamic culture. Those visiting the institution’s stand may collect up to three books that tell the story of Islam and its values. Teachers may collect more copies to distribute to their students.
The Fambras stand does not include just books: some panels distributed around the 60 square metre space show those visiting the main values of Islam, the obligations of the Muslims and the meanings of some works. There, there are television monitors showing two to three minute movies telling the story of Islam.
The Centre for Promotion of Islam in Latin America (CDIAL) should release book Islam – Safety and Peace. Author Hussein Ali El Saifi explains what jihad is. The word means “holy war” among others. “Our objective is to present Islamic culture so that more people may become curious and decide to read our books,” said the president of the CDIAL and author of book Islam – O caminho para a felicidade (Islam – the route to happiness), Ziad Ahmad Saifi.
Apart from these releases, next Tuesday (14), at 8:00 pm, a debate on Arab culture is scheduled, to include University of São Paulo (USP) professor Mamede Mustafa Jarouche, who translated three volumes of the Arabian Nights from Arabic to Portuguese, Michel Sleiman, acting president of the Arab Culture Institute (Icarabe). The event is free and tickets are distributed two hours before the start of the debate. Mediation will be by Márcia Camargos.
The event reserves other surprises in the Arab world. One is the release of Luzes da África: pai e filho em busca da alma de um continente (Lights of Africa: father and son seeking the soul of a continent – Record/Brazilian Civilisation ), in which the author, Haroldo Castro, travelled the African continent with his son to show the culture and customs of countries like Ethiopia, Sudan and Angola. Sudan is an Arab nation.
Among those that are not releases, readers may enjoy the recipes of Arab aroma – recipes and reports, by publishing house Senac, or the Companhia das Letras promotion for the special edition of the Arabian Nights and Days, written by Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz. The edition was released in the first half of 2012, in the Nobel Prize Collection, to celebrate the 25 anniversary of the publishing house. From R$ 56.00 it is sold for R$ 24.90 at the Biennial. Mahfouz, who passed away in 2006, won the Nobel Literature Prize in 1988.
Service
22nd São Paulo International Book Biennial
From August 9th to 18th, from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. On August 19th, from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, admittance up to 6:00 pm.
Tickets: R$ 12 (whole) and R$ 6 (half-priced)
Anhembi Exhibition Pavilion, Av. Olavo Fontoura, 1,209, Santana.
Further information: www.bienaldolivrosp.com.br
*Translated by Mark Ament
