في كل موسم من مواسم معارض الكتاب، التي درجت وزارة الثقافة، ممثلة في هيئة الأدب والنشر والترجمة، على تنظيمها، استشعر جديدًا يضاف إلى حياتي، سواء بزيارة هذه المعارض، أو متابعة ما يعرض فيها ويصاحبها من برامج أدبية وأنشطة تفاعلية.
يجتهد القائمون عليها في تنويعها معرفيًا، بحيث تغطي حقولًا إبداعية كثيرة، ونوعيًا بحيث تشمل كافة قطاعات المجتمع من مخضرمين، وشباب ويفّع وأطفال، في مدى زمني محدد، يجعل الحراك لاهثًا، ومتسارعًا ليفي بما خطط له من أهداف
كل ذلك أتابعه بغبطة وشعور بالرضا، غير أني في المقابل، حين أخرج من ساحة المعرض، وانفلت عند دائرة فعالياته، يحزنني أن لا أجد لها أثرًا ملموسًا، أو اهتمامًا ملحوظًا؛ بل على العكس من ذلك، فالغالبية لا يدرجون «الكتاب» في محيط اهتمامهم اليومي، ولا حتى الموسمي، وينصرفون كل الانصرف عن البرامج الثقافية والأدبية، و«يعافون» حتى مجرد ذكرها، بما يحتّم من رفع الأسئلة المؤرقة حيال هذا العزوف، وهذا الانصراف المجتمعي عن الكتاب،
أقول هذا وفي خاطري ما حقّقه معرض المدينة المنورة للكتاب 2025، والذي انفض سامره الأسبوع المنصرم تابعت عن بُعد فعالياته، وسعدت بتنوعها، وفي المقابل لم أجد أي ترويج، أو تبشير بعناوين جديدة إلا في نطاق محدود، بما يكلّف الراغب أن يسأل آخرين «عن الجديد»، وهو وضع يتطلّب نهجًا مدروسًا يجتاز معضلة النطاق المحدود والدوائر المغلقة، إذ لم تعد عمليّة التّرويج والإعلان والدّعايّة أمرًا يمكن إغفاله أو تجاهله في حيثيات طرح أيّ منتج في سوق التّنافس للجمهور.
ولا يختلف مفهومنا بأي درجة من درجات الاختلاف حول أهمية هذا النّشاط الحيوي، إذا نظرنا إليه في سياق التّرويج للمنتج الثّقافي والأدبي، ما عاد من المقبول فهم هذا الأمر من زاوية حرجة تصمه بالرّغبة في التّلميع، أو النّزوع نحو تضخيم الذّوات بدافع شهوة الظّهور، وإنّما علينا استيعابه في إطاره التّسويقي، بوصفه «سلعة» من السّلع المعروضة على المتلقي في سوق المساومة، بما يتطلب أن تكون هناك إشارة دعائية دالة على مكانه، ومبيّنة لمحتواه، ومشيرة إليه بنحو يفتح الضّوء عليه وُيرغّب الطّامح في اقتنائه، أسوة بغيره من السلع الإبداعية الأخرى، كالأفلام، والمسرحيات، والتسجيلات الغنائية، وغيرها.
لهذا فلا أجد أي مبرر لما يستشعره البعض من حرج في تسويق المنتج الأدبي الكِتابي من هذا الباب، بتخليصه من فكرة وصفه
بالسّلعة من منظور أنّ «الكتاب» وإن جلس مجلس «المُباع والمُشترى»، فإنّه بعيد عن ذلك كلّ البُعد، فهو حاضن لأفكار ورؤى ومشاعر وأحاسيس وغيرها من المُتعلّقات بالشّأن الكتابي الإبداعي، وكلّها عصيّة على «التّسليع» مترفّعة عن مساومة السّوق، بالغًا ما بلغت درجة الإجادة فيها أو الإخفاق، لكنّها تبقى بمنأى عن ذلك، وهذا أمر مقبول ومقنع، لكن نجد أن ما يلحقها بالسّوق وتسليعه يأتي عند البحث عن معادلة مقبولة في ميزان الاقتصاد بين المصروف على الكتاب من ورق وطباعة وكلّ ما يلحق ذلك، والعائد المتوقّع الذي يغطّي ما صُرف، مع هامش ربح يُبقي الفعل الكتابي قادرًا على الحضور دون عنت أو تسوّل. وهي معادلة تتطلّب وعيًا تسويقيًا مختلفًا، بما يستلزم أن يكون التّرويج والإعلان والدّعاية لأي منتج أدبي مختلفًا عن أيّ دعاية أو ترويج لسلعة أخرى، فليس ثمّة منافس لكتاب ما إلا محتواه هو لا غيره، مع قناعة بأنّ «المبالغة» التي هي شرط محسوس في الدّعاية للسلع المستهلكة لا تبدو حميدة في هذا المقام، بل تكون عامل تنفير، وسبب انصراف من قبل المُستهدف بالعمل الإبداعي، وعلى هذا لابد أن تكون دعاية متوازنة للكتاب، لا تغفل عن الإشارة المبرقة لجودة محتواه بانتقاء لأشرق ما فيه، ولا تزيد على ذلك بتضخيم مبالغ فيه، خاصة إذا كان المُروّج له كاتب حدث، يخطو أوّل عتباته في سلم الإبداع، فإن مثل هذا الترويج التضخيمي لابد أن ينعكس عليه سلبًا من ناحيتي القبول والارتداد النّفسي إذا لم يبلغ الشوط مبتغاه من الشّهرة المعلن عنها.
وفي هذا أشير إلى «ركن المؤلف السعودي» لا من باب الانتقاص بل من باب توخي الحذر، فما يقدمه من عون وترويج للأقلام السعودية الناشئة من الجنسين، أمر مفرح ومبشّر، وكان حضوره في معرض المدينة المنورة هذا العام كما يجب أن يكون، ولكن في المقابل من المهم أن يقدّم الإرشاد النفسي للناشئة حتى يدركوا عظم المسؤولية، وضرورة توخي الحذر، حتى يحلقوا بأجنحة قادرة على الصمود، والإتيان بكل جديد، في سياق التطور والنمو المضطرد في سوح الأدب والثقافة والإبداع.
وأتمنى صادقاً من وزارة الثقافة أن تضع في دائرة اهتمامها تشجيع الكتاب السعوديين وحثهم على المزيد من الكتابة ومعالجة السلبيات عن طريق القلم ومساعدتهم على تسويق إنتاجهم والدعاية لكل إصدار جديد في كافة الوسائل الإعلانية المتاحة في وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي ولوحات الشوارع مع الغذاء والدواء والسياحة والترفيه.
وليس بعصي على وزارة الثقافة في حراكها الدائم أن تكون لها مكتبات خاصة مميّزة لبيع الكتاب بأسعار معقولة بدلاً من استغلال المكتبات الكبيرة في رفع أسعار الكتاب فلا يكون متاحاً للجميع.
تابع قناة عكاظ على الواتساب
In every season of the book fairs organized by the Ministry of Culture, represented by the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Authority, I feel something new added to my life, whether by visiting these fairs or following what is presented in them along with the literary programs and interactive activities that accompany them.
The organizers strive to diversify the fairs intellectually, covering many creative fields, and qualitatively, including all sectors of society from veterans, youth, and children, within a specific timeframe that makes the movement swift and accelerated to meet the planned objectives.
I follow all of this with joy and a sense of satisfaction; however, when I leave the exhibition area and detach from its activities, I am saddened to find no tangible impact or noticeable interest. On the contrary, the majority do not include "books" in their daily, or even seasonal, interests, and they completely turn away from cultural and literary programs, even "disdaining" the mere mention of them, which raises troubling questions about this apathy and the societal disengagement from books.
I say this while reflecting on what the Madinah Book Fair 2025 achieved, which concluded its activities last week. I followed its events from a distance and was pleased with their diversity; however, I found no promotion or announcement of new titles except in a limited scope, which requires those interested to ask others "about the new." This situation necessitates a well-thought-out approach that transcends the problem of limited scope and closed circles, as the process of promotion, advertising, and publicity can no longer be overlooked or ignored in the context of presenting any product in the competitive market to the public.
Our understanding of the importance of this vital activity does not differ in any degree regarding the promotion of cultural and literary products. It is no longer acceptable to view this matter from a critical angle that labels it as a desire for embellishment or a tendency to inflate egos driven by the lust for visibility. Rather, we must comprehend it within its marketing framework, considering it a "commodity" among the goods presented to the audience in the bargaining market. This requires there to be a promotional signal indicating its place, clarifying its content, and pointing to it in a way that sheds light on it and encourages those eager to acquire it, similar to other creative commodities like films, plays, musical recordings, and others.
Therefore, I find no justification for what some feel as embarrassment in marketing the literary product of books from this perspective, freeing it from the idea of describing it as a commodity. Although "books" may sit in the realm of "buying and selling," they are far removed from that. They are a repository of ideas, visions, feelings, and other related matters concerning creative writing, all of which resist "commodification," elevating themselves above market bargaining, regardless of the degree of excellence or failure in them. However, they remain insulated from that, which is acceptable and convincing. Yet we find that what links them to the market and commodification arises when searching for an acceptable equation in the balance of economics between the expenses incurred on the book for paper, printing, and all that follows, and the expected return that covers what was spent, with a profit margin that keeps the act of writing capable of presence without hardship or begging. This equation requires a different marketing awareness, necessitating that the promotion, advertising, and publicity for any literary product be different from any advertising or promotion for other commodities. There is no competitor to any book except its content, and the belief that "exaggeration," which is a tangible condition in advertising for consumer goods, does not seem beneficial in this context; rather, it can be a deterrent factor and a reason for disengagement from the targeted audience of the creative work. Therefore, there must be balanced advertising for books that does not overlook the striking indication of the quality of its content by selecting the best of what it contains, without excessive inflation, especially if the promoter is a new writer taking their first steps in the ladder of creativity. Such inflated promotion must negatively reflect on them in terms of acceptance and psychological backlash if they do not achieve the advertised level of fame.
In this regard, I refer to the "Saudi Author Corner," not from a standpoint of belittlement but from a standpoint of caution. What it offers in terms of support and promotion for emerging Saudi writers of both genders is a joyful and promising matter. Its presence at the Madinah Book Fair this year was as it should be. However, it is also important to provide psychological guidance for the youth so that they understand the magnitude of responsibility and the necessity of caution, enabling them to soar with wings capable of resilience and bringing forth new ideas amidst the ongoing development and growth in the fields of literature, culture, and creativity.
I sincerely hope that the Ministry of Culture will prioritize encouraging Saudi writers and urging them to write more, addressing the negatives through writing, and assisting them in marketing their production and promoting every new release through all available advertising means in social media and street billboards alongside food, medicine, tourism, and entertainment.
It is not difficult for the Ministry of Culture, in its ongoing efforts, to have special distinguished libraries for selling books at reasonable prices instead of exploiting large bookstores to raise book prices, making them unavailable to everyone.
The organizers strive to diversify the fairs intellectually, covering many creative fields, and qualitatively, including all sectors of society from veterans, youth, and children, within a specific timeframe that makes the movement swift and accelerated to meet the planned objectives.
I follow all of this with joy and a sense of satisfaction; however, when I leave the exhibition area and detach from its activities, I am saddened to find no tangible impact or noticeable interest. On the contrary, the majority do not include "books" in their daily, or even seasonal, interests, and they completely turn away from cultural and literary programs, even "disdaining" the mere mention of them, which raises troubling questions about this apathy and the societal disengagement from books.
I say this while reflecting on what the Madinah Book Fair 2025 achieved, which concluded its activities last week. I followed its events from a distance and was pleased with their diversity; however, I found no promotion or announcement of new titles except in a limited scope, which requires those interested to ask others "about the new." This situation necessitates a well-thought-out approach that transcends the problem of limited scope and closed circles, as the process of promotion, advertising, and publicity can no longer be overlooked or ignored in the context of presenting any product in the competitive market to the public.
Our understanding of the importance of this vital activity does not differ in any degree regarding the promotion of cultural and literary products. It is no longer acceptable to view this matter from a critical angle that labels it as a desire for embellishment or a tendency to inflate egos driven by the lust for visibility. Rather, we must comprehend it within its marketing framework, considering it a "commodity" among the goods presented to the audience in the bargaining market. This requires there to be a promotional signal indicating its place, clarifying its content, and pointing to it in a way that sheds light on it and encourages those eager to acquire it, similar to other creative commodities like films, plays, musical recordings, and others.
Therefore, I find no justification for what some feel as embarrassment in marketing the literary product of books from this perspective, freeing it from the idea of describing it as a commodity. Although "books" may sit in the realm of "buying and selling," they are far removed from that. They are a repository of ideas, visions, feelings, and other related matters concerning creative writing, all of which resist "commodification," elevating themselves above market bargaining, regardless of the degree of excellence or failure in them. However, they remain insulated from that, which is acceptable and convincing. Yet we find that what links them to the market and commodification arises when searching for an acceptable equation in the balance of economics between the expenses incurred on the book for paper, printing, and all that follows, and the expected return that covers what was spent, with a profit margin that keeps the act of writing capable of presence without hardship or begging. This equation requires a different marketing awareness, necessitating that the promotion, advertising, and publicity for any literary product be different from any advertising or promotion for other commodities. There is no competitor to any book except its content, and the belief that "exaggeration," which is a tangible condition in advertising for consumer goods, does not seem beneficial in this context; rather, it can be a deterrent factor and a reason for disengagement from the targeted audience of the creative work. Therefore, there must be balanced advertising for books that does not overlook the striking indication of the quality of its content by selecting the best of what it contains, without excessive inflation, especially if the promoter is a new writer taking their first steps in the ladder of creativity. Such inflated promotion must negatively reflect on them in terms of acceptance and psychological backlash if they do not achieve the advertised level of fame.
In this regard, I refer to the "Saudi Author Corner," not from a standpoint of belittlement but from a standpoint of caution. What it offers in terms of support and promotion for emerging Saudi writers of both genders is a joyful and promising matter. Its presence at the Madinah Book Fair this year was as it should be. However, it is also important to provide psychological guidance for the youth so that they understand the magnitude of responsibility and the necessity of caution, enabling them to soar with wings capable of resilience and bringing forth new ideas amidst the ongoing development and growth in the fields of literature, culture, and creativity.
I sincerely hope that the Ministry of Culture will prioritize encouraging Saudi writers and urging them to write more, addressing the negatives through writing, and assisting them in marketing their production and promoting every new release through all available advertising means in social media and street billboards alongside food, medicine, tourism, and entertainment.
It is not difficult for the Ministry of Culture, in its ongoing efforts, to have special distinguished libraries for selling books at reasonable prices instead of exploiting large bookstores to raise book prices, making them unavailable to everyone.


