‘1001 Nights’ spotlights humane literature: Jawaher

Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) said that ‘1001 Nights: The Last Chapter’, beautifully underlines the role of humanitarian literature in promoting positive values and ethics in society.

Her Highness said the show highlights the key role of culture in bridging the distance between nations, promote empathy, and establish bonds of mutual respect, tolerance and cooperation.

Sheikha Jawaher lauded the efforts of the team behind the massive production during the show on Wednesday, at the Al Majaz Amphitheatre. Her Highness noted that the show is a big boost to Sharjah’s ongoing efforts to revive heritage and literature and inculcate a love for the arts in people of all age groups, ethnicity and backgrounds.

Her Highness pointed out that the key objective of the show was to serve as a call to continue writing and documenting literature. She stressed the instrumental role of writing in passing on knowledge to the future generations, in addition to facilitating communication, the convergence of ideas and reconciliation of views for stability and peace.

Her Highness further commented: “The selection of Sharjah as World Book Capital 2019 represents an acknowledgment of its outstanding role in nurturing the culture of reading under the guidance and vision of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. Books that disseminate knowledge are the source of every idea that comes into being and develops into an initiative.”

Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher expressed her sincere belief in the cultural journey of the emirate that began over 40 years ago with the aim of having books as a companion to individuals from an early age. Sharjah has been an incubator and a launchpad for initiatives, awards, exhibitions, and forums aimed at delivering books to children, youth, men and women.

Her Highness called on all public and private institutions in Sharjah to organise events to celebrate the prestigious title bestowed on the emirate by Unesco, and to help in raising a generation of readers, authors and publishers who would contribute to the cultural journey of Sharjah.

A never-seen-before interpretation of the One Thousand and One Nights tales has taken centre stage in the newly crowned World Book Capital – Sharjah. Ripe with magic, mystery and dream-like stage sequences, the Al Majaz Amphitheatre production, ‘1001 Nights: The Last Chapter’ had a world premiere on Tuesday night before a packed audience in the emirate.

Not only has it set the live-entertainment bar in the region higher, the show has also been hugely successful in delivering a beautiful human message about the importance of books and reading and the importance of carrying a strong thirst for knowledge. It shed light on the need for more efforts to preserve our cultural legacy by passing it down to future generations and sharing it with them in a way that is relatable and true to their times.

The show offered a memorable starting point for Sharjah’s year-long journey as the Unesco World Book Capital 2019, not only because it is inspired by the region’s oldest collection of folk stories, One Thousand and One Nights, but because it has fittingly conveyed Sharjah’s World Book Capital’s messages of access and inclusivity.

By bringing home the world’s most important cultural title given to cities that are leading the way in making books and reading a central feature of community life in a digitally-driven world, Sharjah – the Arab world’s cultural gem – is poised to bring the Emirati and Arab culture closer to its people through a comprehensive programme, and ‘1001 Nights: The Last Chapter’ is the first example.

The 90-minute show unfolds in three main acts, each led by one of Scheherazade’s children, Fayrouz, Kader and Amin. Instructed by their mother to reach out to three most treasured items in the world – a bottle of ink, a feather and a book – the three undertake exciting journeys to far-away lands full of danger, mystery and intrigue created by an awe-inspiring stage setup and design, and special effects.