Oman shines bright at Lithuanian book fair

Muscat: The Omani booth at the four-day Vilnius Book Fair, held in Lithuania from February 22 to 25, garnered a lot of attention. The booth offered a selection of books on the country’s culture, economy, and tourism. It also housed an exposition of Omani photography, depicting the nation’s traditions and modernity. Later, a new film about Oman was screened. The film was made by journalists from the Lithuanian National Television, who visited the Sultanate in 2017, on the invitation of the Information Ministry of Oman. One of the highlights of the cultural programme at the fair was a discussion with Omani poet and academic Hilal Al Hajri, which took place on February 22. Al Hajri shared his insights about the three books that he had selected for the Lithuanian audience— “British Travel: Writing on Oman: Orientalism Reappraised” and two collections of poetry “Night is Mine” and “Contemporary Omani Poetry in English”. In addition to that, he visited the Vilnius University, where he met young adults studying Arabic and literature. “I am very happy about the exceptional success of this fair. I am sure this event is one of the best ways to bring Oman closer to Lithuanians,” Boleta Senkienė, Honourary Consul of the Sultanate in Lithuania, said. In 2015, Oman became the first Arab nation to take part in the Vilnius Book Fair. This year, Oman had a lot more to offer at the fair, thanks to the cooperation between the Honourary Consulate in Vilnius and the Ministry of Heritage and Culture and the Ministry of Information in Oman. Thousands visited the Omani stand at the fair, where hundreds of books about the country were handed out for free. The Vilnius Book Fair, first organised in 2000, is the largest international event of its kind in the Baltic States. The fair saw more than 70,000 visitors this year.