Bookshops are the greatest. Think of all the hours you can spend browsing the shelves and taking in all the literature available right at your fingertips. It’s no secret that they’re my go-to-once-plane-lands retreat. The smell of books and knowledge first thing in the morning are reasons alone to get lost in a bookshop. But then again, there are book fairs. Consisting of a magnificent labyrinth with stalls upon stalls full of nothing but books in every color, genre and general style. They truly are a majestic place to lose yourself in for days.
For the 2015 Kuwait Annual Book Fair, That Al Salasil had a glorious surprise for all the bookies out there – so if you missed out, well, sorry! That Al Salasil made a genius comeback this year by expanding their actual booth with so many titles on display. To add to that, they also have more than fifty titles that have come out specifically for this book fair. As the occasion marked Kuwait’s 40th Annual Book Fair, That Al Salasil decided to go in with a more unique approach – they brought in the infamous international publishing scene to Kuwait! With publishing giants like Macmillan, Hachette, HarperCollins, Scholastic, Usborne and of course, the Penguin Random House, That Al Salasil are after this bookworm’s heart.
Bringing in the latest releases and bestselling English books to Kuwait, That Al Salasil are really listening to their customers and providing them with everything they hoped for. And before you ask, the answer is yes, they do have all the books available in their bookshops! Roaming around their parts of the Book Fair it became apparent to me that more and more people are reading and everyone appreciated what That Al Salasil provided them with. Alongside their own published books, they’ve also translated NYT’s Young Adult bestselling title Girl Online by UK vlogger Zoe Sugg into Arabic! Participating in every Book Fair in the region, That Al Salasil move around all their books from one fair to the next.
Focusing on educational books and of course, the books the people want to read, That Al Salasil do what they can to bring you every release they possibly can! They’ve even created an Instagram account – @SalasilExpress – to make it easier for you to purchase books! So if you’re ever in a rush for a gift, or stocking stuffer *ahem, ahem* you can now order books directly over Whatsapp through the Salasil Express account and be a hero! Back to the book fair – after running around like a crazy person trying to figure out what books I need to have (the potential list was endless), I managed to calm myself and get just one, like an adult. A time-travel-esque novel, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North caught my attention and I decided that I MUST have it!
Words of wisdom: do NOT miss out on a single book fair, it might have everything you want, and more. Happy readings bookworms! The That Al Salasil bookshop can be found in the Avenues Phase 2. Follow them on Instagram to order any of their books right to your doorstep @SalasilExpress.
