Sharjah: More than 2,000 titles of Malayalam books were indeed a treat for Indian expatriates from Kerala who thronged to procure their copies at the Sharjah International Book Fair.
"I am quite thrilled to see so many titles of books in my mother tongue. Usually I get Malayalam books whenever I visit India as I have more choice and the price is also lesser back home. But now I am buying as there are quite a large number of titles and the price too is not very high," said Sohail Mirza, who was happy to get a book on crime stories, and a couple of others.
Bindu Plakazhi, a UAE resident for more than 20 years, said: "I associate better with the characters when I read in Malayalam and I am more comfortable. Even though I read a lot of English books too, I particularly enjoy the manner in which Malayalam authors weave stories."
"Kerala has a rich pool of literature and I feel it brings me closer to my roots," said Jayasree Rajesh, an avid reader who came with her sons to the fair.
"I have also bought books for my younger son and through these books not only can he learn our language better, but also learn about life back home and how it has been for us," she added.
Among the hot favourites at the book fair were Manjaveyil Marangal by Benyamin, Randammoozam by M.T. Vasudevan Nair, Delhi Gadhakal by M. Mukundan and cookery book by Lakshmi Nayar.
"The response is overwhelming for Malayalam books. Keralites form a significant proportion of the Indian expatriate population in the UAE and they love to read," said Ravi D.C. Chief Executive Officer of D.C. Books.
