Slow demand at book fair blamed on lack of promotion, tough economic conditions

AMMAN — The lack of proper promotion of this year’s Amman International Book Fair, in addition to financial difficulties facing consumers, have reduced the demand on books, booksellers said on Wednesday. 

Bookseller Abdullah Abu Naser said organisers did not promote the book fair well. 

“This is one of the main factors that the fair has not received a good number of visitors this year,” he told The Jordan Times as he waited for clients. 

Wael Abed Rabo, vice-president of the Jordanian Publishers Union, which organised the exhibition, claimed that the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) did not allow the organisers to set up banners to direct people to the location of the book fair.

“We tried to place a number of banners on bridges and circles but we were unable to do so, while organisers of other festivals can put up countless banners in several locations in Amman,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

But GAM Executive Director of Culture Samer Khair Ahmad said the municipality did not prohibit organisers from putting up their banners. 

“We provided them with advertising spaces that usually cost JD10,000 for free. GAM began applying a new system this year that allows organisers of events and activities to set up banners in specific locations to avoid defacing traffic signs,” he said.

Ahmad added that the book fair’s organisers wanted to set up banners that would have had  a negative impact on “the image of Amman” and distracted motorists while driving. 

Meanwhile, Malik Hawamdeh, another bookseller, attributed the low demand for books to the mounting popularity of e-books. 

“Now most people, including intellectuals and avid readers, are downloading their favourite books from the Internet,” he told The Jordan Times, adding that social media networks also distract people from reading. 

Hawamdeh also noted that most employees are paid modest salaries, so books are at the bottom of their list of expenses. “They have other priorities and many expenses to meet.”

Visitors interviewed by The Jordan Times said the fair needs to be more organised. 

Ihab Disi voiced hope that organisers can hold the book fair several times a year instead of just once. 

“I looked for self-development, and business books,” he said, adding that the titles should be classified in an orderly manner so that visitors can easily find what they are looking for.”I had to ask the seller about the books I wanted.”

Thaer Mkhaimer, another reader, said he came to the book fair to buy novels in English. 

“I didn’t find a lot of books in English; Arabic books dominate the entire fair,” he added, noting that a large number of political books were on sale “perhaps because of the current situation in the region. The lectures held during the fair also discussed mainly political issues.”

Yahia Attari, who had come to the fair expecting to find better bargains, said the prices were similar to regular market prices.

The 15th Amman International Book Fair, which concludes on September 13, is being held in Amman’s Al Hussein Youth City from 9am until 2 pm and from 4:30pm until 10pm daily.

More than 500 local, regional and international publishing houses from 25 countries are taking part.