(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

The smell of freshly printed pages. The feel of rough paper on skin. The thrill of flipping through page upon page of unimaginable worlds. These sensations resonate with book lovers across the globe.

At Sharjah International Book Fair, children from all grades, university students, teachers, and spectators filled the grand halls of the Expo Centre Sharjah - eager to find their next great read and feed their love of learning.

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Nowadays, most reading materials are published digitally - yet people remain drawn to the charm of a physical book. The Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) proves that printed books are far from forgotten, as seen in the packed halls and eager crowds lining up to meet their favourite storytellers.

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'A different feeling'

For Khawla Alnuaimi, a teacher from Ras Al Khaimah, nothing compares to the feeling of holding a book in your hand.“Of course, you can read the book online, but it's different when you hold it in your hand,” she explained.“There's a passion when you smell the book, touch it, turn the pages. It's a different feeling.”

Alnuaimi prepared her book list a week before the fair - 20 titles for herself and her 18-year-old daughter, who shares her love for reading. The schoolteacher also helped her students create their own lists, featuring both English and Arabic authors.

For eighth-grade students Qasayed Shehab and Rayan Faisal, who stood in line among a crowd of students waiting to get their book signed, reading is their window to new worlds.

Faisal admitted that while she spends at least four hours on her phone, she tries to read as much as she can.“I try to have time on a daily basis or when I'm on vacation. It's important as we can learn new things,” she said.

The two girls were eager to go to the Book Fair this time around to fetch an autograph from one of their favourite authors – Abdullah Al Qomani.

Making books accessible

Beyond the joy of meeting writers, affordability is a major draw for visitors. Compared to big bookstore chains, SIBF offers books at more accessible prices.

Naysa P., a first-year Geography student and avid reader, said that she finds books sold in big chains to be expensive and inaccessible.

“(In India), you can get the same copy of a book for around Dh5, but (in bookstore chains) it's probably Dh25. It's more expensive,” she said.

Fortunately, SIBF requires all participating publishers to offer a 25 per cent discount from the retail price, making it more affordable than bookstore rates.

Despite spending plenty of time on social media, like many other teenagers, Naysa still carves out moments to read.“Social media and books are completely different things in my mind. Even though I scroll, I get tired of it - then I pick up a book,” she said. For her, reading also carries a sense of nostalgia, taking her back to the simpler days of childhood.

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