Dubai: UAE-based Malayalam writers and journalists made a beeline to publish their books at this year’s Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), which saw the release of 55 titles in the south Indian language this year.
Slices of lives of Indian expats from Kerala were the themes of many books released at the fair.
Gulf News staffer Rengith Vasudevan, who published his first book last year, released his second book ‘Nishkalangan’, a collection of short stories, during the fair.
K.M. Abbas, editor-in-charge of Siraj newspaper in Dubai, released his latest novel titled ‘Deira’. Real life characters the author has acquainted with in Deira have found their place in the book.
Abbas also released another book titled ‘Pravasa Kanavukal’, which is a collection of his observations about the lives of expatriates.
‘Hiranyagarbham,’ a novel by Krishna Bhaskar, also delves into the lives of expat Malayalees.
Shabu Kilithattil, head of news at Hit 96.7 radio channel, published a book titled ‘Kalam…Kavalam.’ It is a tribute to the life and works of Kavalam Narayana Panicker, a veteran dramatist, theatre director, and poet in Malayalam who passed away earlier this year.
Another book paying tribute to Dr. Murali Krishna, who was a prolific writer and criminologist, was published by Baiju Bhaskar, news editor at Asianet Radio.
Stories and poems of about 100 Malayalam writers based in the UAE were published as a literary bulletin named ‘Bookish’.
“This is the second time we are releasing this literary bulletin. It includes works of both seasoned and budding Malayalam writers here and a translated poem of Arab poet Dr. Shihab Ganem,” said Sadiq Kavil, another Malayalam journalist, who was one of the team members behind ‘Bookish’.
Sadiq’s 14-year-old daughter Izza Maryam Kavil also published her debut English novel ‘When Dusk Falls, Stars Rise’ at the fair.
Another journalist Vanitha Vinod published a book titled ‘Murivoram,’ which was inspired by the life of Murukan who is known for his charity works for the distressed in the streets of Kerala.
Street child-turned-author Shemi, author of ‘Nadavazhiyile Nerukal’, a bestseller at last year’s SIBF, announced her next book ‘Malappurathinte Marumakal’ in a unique style.
While women from different walks of life shared their views about the role of education in women’s empowerment — the theme of Shemi’s first book that continues to be sold like hotcakes at the fair — Dubai-based artist Ashar made a live painting to unveil the cover page of her second book.
