يشير الباحث والمؤرخ السعودي محمد القشعمي إلى أن أول معرض للكتاب أقيم في مدينة الرياض يعود إلى العام 1969، كمعرض محلي محدود أقيم في شارع الوزير، وذلك في دار الكتب الوطنية التابعة لوزارة المعارف.
فيما أول معرض فعلي للكتاب كان عام 1977، وتلاه أول معرض دولي للكتاب في العام الذي يليه، وذلك في جامعة الملك سعود، واستمر معرض الرياض الدولي بشكل سنوي، وصولاً لنسخة هذا العام التي أغلقت أبوابها يوم السبت الماضي.
وخلال زيارة معرض هذا العام، الذي تنظمه وزارة الثقافة ممثلة في هيئة الأدب والنشر والترجمة، لاحظت إقبالاً كبيراً من شرائح متنوعة من القراء، من المواطنين والمقيمين ومن فئات عمرية مختلفة، وقد تجاوز عدد زوّار هذه النسخة المليون زائر، بشكل يفوق نسخة العام الماضي أيضاً.
والأرقام لم تكن لافتة على مستوى الزيارات فقط، بل أيضاً على مستوى المبيعات، وهذا متواتر من منظمي المعرض لكن أيضاً من دور محلية وعربية وعالمية، ومن اللافت لي على مستوى شخصي أني زرت المعرض يوم الجمعة الماضي، حيث حظيت الرياض بفعالية كبرى وهي افتتاح موسم الرياض، لكن شهدت الفعاليتان حضوراً كثيفاً دون أن تؤثر إحداهما على الأخرى.
قد يغلق الكتاب، لكن المعرفة أبوابها مفتوحة دوماً، كانت هذه إحدى العبارات التي ختمت بها هيئة الأدب المعرض، وإن كانت الإشارة هنا إلى انتهاء المعرض فإن الإشارة الأعمق هي أن معرض الكتاب تجاوز جدلية الورق مقابل الرقمنة، التي ما فتئ الصحفيون يناقشونها خلال السنوات الماضية، إلى الهدف الحقيقي وهو المعرفة سواء قرأت الكتاب في جهاز لوحي أو كتاب ورقي، أو حتى استمعت له صوتياً.
هذا التجاوز كان لافتاً في البرنامج الثقافي المنوع الذي لم يُعْمِ عينيه عن مواضيع الساعة، من الرقمنة وصولاً إلى الذكاء الاصطناعي، وكان شاملاً في أجندته بين السياسة والإعلام والفن، ليكون معرض الكتاب منصة ثقافية لإثراء الحوار.
بعد مرور خمسة عقود على معرض الكتاب تأتي أرقام المعرض هذا العام لتحمل دلالات كبيرة في هذه المرحلة تحديداً، حيث يزداد النقاش حول الذكاء الاصطناعي وتأثير الأجهزة اللوحية على تركيز الكبار والصغار على حدٍّ سواء، فالرياض ما زالت تقرأ وأرقام القراءة تصاعدية من عام للآخر، وهذا ما يدخل شعوراً كبيراً بالسعادة.
فلا خوف على أمة تقرأ، فهذا ما يكفل لها ديمومة التطوّر الذهني والفكري، وكما قال
عباس محمود العقاد: «أحب الكتاب، لا لأنني زاهد في الحياة، ولكن لأن حياة واحدة لا تكفيني».
تابع قناة عكاظ على الواتساب
The Saudi researcher and historian Mohammed Al-Qashami points out that the first book fair held in Riyadh dates back to 1969, as a limited local exhibition that took place on Al-Wazir Street, at the National Library affiliated with the Ministry of Education.
The first actual book fair was in 1977, followed by the first international book fair the following year, held at King Saud University. The Riyadh International Book Fair has continued annually, culminating in this year's edition, which closed its doors last Saturday.
During my visit to this year's fair, organized by the Ministry of Culture represented by the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission, I noticed a significant turnout from diverse groups of readers, including citizens and residents of various age categories. The number of visitors to this edition exceeded one million, surpassing last year's edition as well.
The figures were striking not only in terms of visits but also in terms of sales, as reported by the organizers of the fair, as well as local, Arab, and international publishers. Personally, I found it remarkable that I visited the fair last Friday, when Riyadh hosted a major event—the opening of the Riyadh Season—but both events witnessed a large attendance without one affecting the other.
Books may close, but knowledge always keeps its doors open. This was one of the phrases with which the Literature Commission concluded the fair. While the reference here is to the end of the fair, the deeper implication is that the book fair has transcended the debate of paper versus digitization, which journalists have been discussing over the past years, to the real goal of knowledge, whether you read the book on a tablet, in print, or even listen to it audibly.
This transcendence was evident in the diverse cultural program that did not shy away from current topics, from digitization to artificial intelligence, and was comprehensive in its agenda covering politics, media, and art, making the book fair a cultural platform to enrich dialogue.
After five decades of the book fair, this year's figures carry significant implications at this particular stage, as discussions about artificial intelligence and the impact of tablets on the focus of both adults and children continue to grow. Riyadh is still reading, and reading figures have been on the rise year after year, which brings a great sense of happiness.
There is no fear for a nation that reads, as this ensures its continuous mental and intellectual development. As Abbas Mahmoud Al-Aqqad said: "I love books, not because I am indifferent to life, but because one life is not enough for me."
The first actual book fair was in 1977, followed by the first international book fair the following year, held at King Saud University. The Riyadh International Book Fair has continued annually, culminating in this year's edition, which closed its doors last Saturday.
During my visit to this year's fair, organized by the Ministry of Culture represented by the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission, I noticed a significant turnout from diverse groups of readers, including citizens and residents of various age categories. The number of visitors to this edition exceeded one million, surpassing last year's edition as well.
The figures were striking not only in terms of visits but also in terms of sales, as reported by the organizers of the fair, as well as local, Arab, and international publishers. Personally, I found it remarkable that I visited the fair last Friday, when Riyadh hosted a major event—the opening of the Riyadh Season—but both events witnessed a large attendance without one affecting the other.
Books may close, but knowledge always keeps its doors open. This was one of the phrases with which the Literature Commission concluded the fair. While the reference here is to the end of the fair, the deeper implication is that the book fair has transcended the debate of paper versus digitization, which journalists have been discussing over the past years, to the real goal of knowledge, whether you read the book on a tablet, in print, or even listen to it audibly.
This transcendence was evident in the diverse cultural program that did not shy away from current topics, from digitization to artificial intelligence, and was comprehensive in its agenda covering politics, media, and art, making the book fair a cultural platform to enrich dialogue.
After five decades of the book fair, this year's figures carry significant implications at this particular stage, as discussions about artificial intelligence and the impact of tablets on the focus of both adults and children continue to grow. Riyadh is still reading, and reading figures have been on the rise year after year, which brings a great sense of happiness.
There is no fear for a nation that reads, as this ensures its continuous mental and intellectual development. As Abbas Mahmoud Al-Aqqad said: "I love books, not because I am indifferent to life, but because one life is not enough for me."
