Thursday 14 / November / 2024
MUSCAT: Nearly ten years since their last visit, Logos Hope, the world’s largest floating book fair, will arrive in the Sultanate of Oman on July 13 from Manama, Bahrain.
The ship will dock in Muscat from July 13-24 before departing for their next port of call in Salalah, where it would be stationed from July 27-August 3.
The previous visit to Muscat of Logos Hope was in October 2013 while the ship had made its maiden visit to Muscat in January 2011. During that visit, it had also visited Salalah in January 2011.
After the conclusion of its visit to Oman on August 3 in Salalah, Logos Hope will depart for Victoria in Seychelles, where it will be from August 10-17 before heading to Mombasa in Kenya.
The world’s largest floating book fair usually remains at each port for about two weeks and opens the gangways to thousands of visitors each day. On average, one million visitors have been welcomed on board the ships every year.
The ship is free to board and houses books spanning different genres and subjects, including science, sports, cookery, arts, medicine, languages and faith, along with children’s titles, academic texts, dictionaries and atlases.
The floating book fair offers over 5,000 titles, providing many visitors their first-ever opportunity to purchase quality literature.
Visitors can learn about the history of the Logos Hope through a short video and interactive displays in the welcome area, and visit the cafe on board.
The seafaring book fair launched in 1970 with the purchase of the original Logos, is operated by the German non-profit group Good Books for All (GBA).
They have since visited 480 different ports in more than 150 countries, welcoming 49 million people. The crew, which will be visiting Oman, is made up of nearly 350 volunteers from more than 65 different nationalities.
With so many different nationalities represented on board, the Logos Hope community is regarded as a genuine expression of international goodwill and understanding.
The crew and staff are all non-salaried volunteers, including many serving in their professional capacity, such as seafarers, engineers, electricians, nurses, teachers and cooks. Sponsorship from friends, family members and civic organisations enables crew members to serve on board.
Teams go from the ship into surrounding areas to visit hospitals, schools, orphanages or prisons, supply aid and provide community care. In each port, the ship’s crew and staff partner with community groups to share hope and show love to people whatever their circumstance, culture or background.
Although the main aim of the ship is to serve the port communities, those on board also benefit personally during their term of service. A structured training programme, combined with work experience and cross-cultural encounters, provides crew members with valuable opportunities to learn new skills and develop character.
The unique living situation presents many challenges, and life on board is a constant exercise in adjusting, adapting and learning to appreciate the differences of others with people from so many different cultures living and working together peacefully in such a small space. Crew members are unified by their vision to bring knowledge, help and hope to the port communities they serve around the world.
