Amman Book Fair: A Breeze From That Direction

Yesterday I went to Amman International Book Fair. I came back home really happy, I enjoyed every bit of it and it gave me that adrenaline rush that I usually get while being around books and writers.

I thought of those ideas as I wandered: 

- Books are not supposed to be neat: 

I thought of this as I passed by a pile of books printed in Baghdad. It brought back memories ... Well not memories , because you cant remember things that you have not actually lived, but the Jordanian students who studied in Iraq always described little dusty shops in narrow streets, where they bought used books with the actual handwritings of their former owners. So I enjoyed the fair and everything, but I know that ''books shopping'' has to be a little bit more dusty than what we have now. 

- Nawwaf is the Best Book Shopping Companion:

We were as happy as a couple of puppies in a green meadow. We were so happy , I dont recall being as happy in a long time. We stopped infront of shelves and tables and he commented the writers, criticised the contents and we made loads of fun commenting the prices (he was almost broke, and I was getting there hehehe). He has read most of the important titles, and he has a general idea about almost everything (No Exaggerations Included) but yet he was like: do you really want this book? and I would be like: yes yes , then he would say: Ok, then have it. This is an interesting curve in his behaviour, maybe I should make a post about it (wait for it).

-When You Expect En Awkward Situation , It Stop's Being That Awkward: 

I was there with Sara, her work colleague Shurooq and Nawwaf. It was socially awkward in the best of all ways :) 

-When I See A Famous Face I Become Hostile In a Way: 

When I was standing next to one of the stands I saw a well known Jordanian female writer. I recognised her but I did not say anything, then a girl who was by my side started a very simple conversation that goes like this '' are you Flane el flanyye?" and the writer was like yes yes, and the girl said Oh I hope i had your book on me , I would have loved to have signed by you , I read all your work , pretty amazing. They both smiled and then they went away. Why could not I just make that conversation? Well , a tiny confession, I hate to be not remembered and I know that those conversations tend to be forgotten , so ^_^ 

-The Love of My Life Must Have Something To Do With the Books Industry: 

A Lebanese gentle man was representing an editorial (Dar Al Saqi) and he stood there explaining to three guys about a novel , then the other and then the other. He was describing the novel in a very neat way that showed that he has actually read all the books and he talked about them as if they were friends or family. He mixed Lebanese accent with very neat classical arabic. I was dazzled and I bought a book. 

Nawwaf made fun of me, he said I bought the book because of the guy. I could not exactly contradict him :p

I remember the guy who sold me a book in Central Bookshop in Barcelona. I would never forget that face, that firm and tranquil smile as he put down the book he was reading, he gave me the book and the ticket and asked me to come back again. (Oh Dear lord, what i would do to be back in el Barrio Gotico de Barcelona!) 

-Coffee People are Different from Non-Coffee People: 

We - people who drink coffee- start considering the possibility of finding coffee as soon as we arrive to any new place. So, when we were done with the book shopping (or the money actually) we went out and we had coffee and a smoke. It was nice. Smooth and full of short encounters with people from the past, I ran into an old friend who used to write in the same magazine with me, so he presented me to a friend who was with him as the ''novelist'' Takwa Masadeh. That was huge after all that time -6 years since I published the novel- and he asked me if I had anything on the way and Sara was like ''Deaaaaar Lord yes!'' .... I love how Sara reproaches me about this specific thing ... I got energy ,,, I should take things more seriously ,,, I should ,,, God , guide me through the maze of my mind. 

The After-math 

Welcome to my little corner of the world. 

P.S: When I ame back from the fair I was full of energy, I wanted to write a huge post about it, but in that moment we had to go visit a relative who had a baby girl. I came back tired and could not write until today. I hate this about my life, time slips by while we are doing erathy stuff ,,, just stuff