Doha, October 10 (QNA) - The Cultural Village Foundation - Katara will launch the third edition of the Katara Book Fair from October 13 to 19, as part of the 11th Katara Festival for Arabic Novel.

This year's edition will feature 90 publishing houses from Qatar and across the Arab world, representing eight countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Tunisia, and Syria. The fair aims to showcase the latest publications from Qatari and Arab publishers across a variety of fields, with a particular emphasis on literary works, including novels, short stories, poetry collections, and books of literary criticism.

A major highlight of the fair will be the official launch of the winning publications from the 10th Katara Prize for Arabic Novel, covering six award categories and presented in both Arabic and English.

Amira Ahmed Al Mohannadi, Director of Katara Publishing House, noted that this third edition of the fair stands out due to the broader participation of both local and regional publishing houses, compared to the second edition which was limited to Qatari and Gulf-based publishers. She added that this year's event will also include a range of book launch ceremonies and signing events.

Among the featured events is the launch of the second edition of the book "Tuwairat Al Fala in Qatari Environment" by Sheikh Hassan bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Abdullah Al-Thani, after the first edition sold out in less than five months. The same author will also introduce a new children's book titled "Birds of Qatar." In addition, the fair will feature the debut novel "A Melody the Winds Did Not Compose" by young Qatari author Moza Al Ahbabi, who is only 15 years old.

Other book signings include "Moral Values in the Biography of the Prophet of Humanity (PBUH)" by Ahmed bin Khalifa Al Asiri Al Maadheed, and "Financial Oversight During Crises: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic" by Dr. Salwa Hamed Al Mulla.

Katara Publishing House will also showcase its latest releases at its pavilion during the fair. Among these are three new books from its periodic "Introductions to the Novel" series: "Heritage in the Novel" by Mohammed Tahriche, "The Novel and Drama: Confident Steps Toward Hybrid Criticism" by Khaled Hassan, and "Identity and Belonging in Arab Thought and Fiction" by critic Hussein Hameed.

In addition, the fair will see the launch of a new series titled "Biography in a Poem," which offers critical studies of the poems that won the Katara Prize for Arabic Poetry, focusing on the Mothers of the Believers. This includes studies on the biographies of Khadija (RA) in the poem "As the Seas Meet" by poet Alaa Ahmed Abdulrahim; Aisha bint Abi Bakr (RA) in the poem "A Flame from the Procession of Light" by poet Abdullah Ali Al Anzi; and Hafsa bint Umar (RA) in the poem "A Sun in the Orbit of Prophethood" by poet Taimur Saeed Ahmad Al Ezzani. All three studies are authored by Dr. Maryam Abdulrahman Al Nuaimi.

The fair will also present critically edited manuscripts that won the first edition of the Katara Prize for Manuscripts. These include "Masterpiece of Literature from the Journey from Damietta to the Levant and Aleppo," edited by Dr. Noha Abdul Razzaq Al Hefnawi, and "The Reminder: What Remains of It," edited by Prof. Dr. Walid Mohammed Al Sarraqbi and published in five volumes. (QNA)