Souq Waqif cafes promote culture of reading and meaningful discussions

Khalid TawalbehDohaA growing number of coffee shops in Souq Waqef are giving a new dimension to the city. With facilities that encourage discussions on diverse subjects like sports, culture, science, technical issues and finance, they are no longer simply a place where people would come for relaxation and comfort.Cafes in Souq Waqef have begun to follow a trend seen earlier in some other Arab capitals, where they are no longer merely places for the public to gather for the purpose of exchanging conversation and having drinks, but have become destinations that can play a more influential role in shaping culture, as some of them began to allocate shelves for books, and special places for reading inside the café. Dialogues and discussions take place in some other cafes dealing with culture, literature and reading, and have become an acceptable way to cross-pollinate ideas and meet those interested.With a lack of interest in reading accentuated by the spread of new technologies being the general trend world over, cafes are becoming the focal points of a counter-trend, arousing and stimulating the desire to read. Engaging in cultural dialogues refreshes interest in reading which itself tends to catch on easily given the right environment.Historically, cafes in some Arab countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon have played social and cultural roles. Damascus cafes have witnessed spaces for storytellers who narrate popular biographies and epics, such as the biography of Bani Hilal, the stories of Abu Zeid Al-Hilali, and Al-Dahir Baibars. In Egypt, where the roots of cafes date back to the 16th century, a number of cafes have gained wide fame, including the cafes such as "Feathers”,”Freedom”,”Harafish”, and "Zahra Al-Bustan,” and others.Coffee/reading compatibilityRecognising that reading books is one of the most important sources of knowledge in human life, some cafes have become attractive places that appeal to everyone. People of different age groups among both boys and girls meet and spend several hours in them until sitting and sipping coffee becomes part of their daily lives. Some of café owners even provide a library and allocated places for reading inside, thus contributing to the spreading the culture of reading and strengthening it in the hearts of early adopters. Many of the visitors of cafes appreciate and bless the move. In the opinion of young Hassan Al Hamadi: "There is a pleasant relationship between coffee and Arabic poetry, it is the key to the day, as the late Mahmoud Darwish once described it.”"Coffee is not drunk in a hurry,” he said, comparing it to a book that is not read in a hurry, but needs a long breath, in order to absorb and enjoy it. Many are those who look forward to beginning their mornings with a cup of their favourite coffee, with a "hearty cognitive meal”. This is what they find among the corridors of a books cafe in this amazing place Souq Waqef. It offers a special combination that mixes the smell of coffee with that of books, through the various books that cover wide range of interests."The state’s Vision 2030, led by HH the Amir targets quality of life, promotion of culture and the arts, and the new direction of cultural cafes came to respond to this trend and increase its dose,” he said."I look forward to the Ministry of Culture to launch a national reading strategy, one of the objectives of which will be the establishment of a reading corner in cafes in private commercial centres and public commercial places, as well as initiatives to strengthen the partnership between the government and private sectors to encourage and attract individuals to the practice of reading in cafes, where various groups of society are present,” he continued."It is known that these initiatives have a prominent role in promoting the culture of reading, through their contribution to creating the general atmosphere that helps and stimulates it,” he confirmed. "The importance of the availability of books in places of gatherings comes to stimulate the desire to read, because the presence of such a corner will arouse the curiosity of cafe-goers, so they enter to see this charming world, and in my opinion, "cafe bookshelves” contribute to providing reading opportunities at all times, and create a new cultural phenomenon in Qatari society, and make the use of all typology of public libraries and libraries of educational and cultural institutions.”He stressed: "The future of cultural cafes will be bright, and we will be in front of new creative ideas in the field of linking the book to the details of life and daily outing, which in its conceptual content is equivalent to sipping a cup of coffee or tea on the banks of a beach, or in an innovative place designed to address the beauty-loving instinct in the mind and conscience of man.”Amazing turnoutWriter and author Ahmed Shawabkeh says that literary clubs are cultural entities that promote cultural action, enrich lifestyles and encourage investment in knowledge and culture as a basis for individual and social progress and advancement, noting that they have various activities.He explained that cafes have an overwhelming presence in the world of thought, literature and philosophy, and coffee seems to be a third companion that combines the book and its reader as it increases the passion for reading.A forum of thinkersAbdul Aziz Al-Marri, a student and a visitor of these cafes, says that in recent years, with the spread of cafes, and the different flavours they offer for various types of coffee, it has become a meeting place for friends, and a space for exchanging ideas. "The fact that some of them have put libraries inside them is a good thing. Reading is an important factor in building thought. Though a large segment of young people due to their preoccupation with social networking sites do not see books as companions, the growth of such cafes will restore the attraction of books.”Library in a café"The idea of reading books in cafes was aimed at businessmen and upper classes,” explains young Youssef Al Naasan, supervisor of a café in Souq Waqef, "but now it is different, reading in a café is open to all people from all origins or backgrounds, it is wonderful.”As for the possibility of lending some books to customers, he said that lending of books for taking outside is not allowed. He Al Naasan expressed readiness to cooperate with any cultural institution if it has a desire to provide the cafe library with books. "We hope that there will be more demand for the library,” he added.