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Why would the whole world’s book industry gather in booze-free Sharjah?

There are an increasing number of reasons, even if the sheikh doesn’t buy all the books himself this time

2 January 2016

9:00 AM

2 January 2016

9:00 AM

It’s not so much the volume of deals done in the agents’ enclosure, the number of exhibitors or the size of the conference hall it takes place in. It’s not even — though this can be a key indicator — that the local sex workers take the week off. Nope: you know your book fair is the real thing once the Scientologists come.

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