The 25th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF 2015) is hosting The History of Book Making, an interactive, thought-provoking exhibition sketching out the annals of printing and the book industry tracing the development of books over time, from manuscripts to state-of-the-art printing technologies.

ADIBF 2015 is organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 7 – 13 May.

Revealing how Muslims discovered the secret of paper sheets, The History of Book Making consists of ten sections that cover all aspects of book manufacturing and printing and their stages of evolution from handwriting and inscription, focusing on the emergence of old Arabic calligraphy and its transformation with every new script being introduced.

Charting the writing tools used in ancient civilisations, a section of the exhibition is dedicated to the various raw materials used for writing including boards, stones, bones, palm fronds, silk, parchment and others.

The History of Book Making also features the advancement of papermaking machinery and map of geographic prevalence, in addition to the most notable transcribers, writers and calligraphers who made significant contributions to the book industry and printing.

The exhibition also sheds light on the processes of adornment, ornamentation and gilding; writing tools and materials for Arabs and Muslims; the emergence of bookbinding as an art and its several types; as well as a comprehensive display of the history and progression of printing from wooden seals and carved stones to stone and board printing, metal letters in Linotyping and Intertying, the introduction of slugs into typesetting, electronic arrangement and finally offset printing plates.

Historical printing milestones are highlighted on large infographics and charts in both Arabic and English, and a section devoted to libraries in Arabic and Muslim civilisations narrates the history of the most renowned Arabic and Muslim libraries of east and west.

A bevy of notable experts will participate in The History of Book Making including high profile calligraphers such as Ahmed Fares from Egypt; Taida Jesarevic, Maliha Teparic and Dr Kazim Haji Mejlic from Bosnia; Omar Ondar, Dr Mustafa Chelebi and Professor Gulchin Anmac from Turkey and Samir Shukri Abdu and Talal Hashem from Lebanon.

The History of Book Making will utilise advanced interactive tools and mediums to communicate with its visitors of all age groups, educational levels and cultural backgrounds. The showcase will consist of graphics and real-life tools and machinery, models and charts. The Exhibition will also screen documentaries related to this ancient profession.

The general programme will be accompanied by a number of workshops in some of the exhibition's sections, featuring some original handicrafts like calligraphy, ornamentation and perforation, in addition to seminars that explain manual papermaking, paper glazing and stone printing.

Daily workshops run from 6-7pm at The History of Book Making, which is open at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair from 9am to 10pm until Wednesday.
Source: WAM