The selection of Don Quixote as the ‘Book of the World’ for the 35th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair goes beyond the novel’s status as one of history’s most renowned literary works. This reflects its extraordinary capacity to transcend languages, cultures, and eras. Since its publication over four centuries ago, the novel by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes has continued to raise profound questions about humanity, truth, and fiction, retaining its vitality in every era.

This selection aligns seamlessly with the evolution of the fair into a dynamic cultural platform, a space where knowledge intersects with literature, translation bridges intercultural dialogue, and local identity meets global human experience. Within this framework, Don Quixote exemplifies the concept of the ‘Book of the World’: a work that travels across cultures without losing its essence, continually acquiring new meanings and interpretations along the way.

When Cervantes published his masterpiece between 1605 and 1615, he offered far more than a satirical story of a man obsessed with reading chivalric romances. Instead, he was probing the fragile boundary between reality and imagination. The novel’s protagonist perceives the world through a different lens, transforming humble inns into grand castles and windmills into adversaries, while giving his quest with a moral dimension through which he seeks to uphold justice and champion the oppressed. Though viewed by others as a captive of his own delusions, Don Quixote remains steadfast in his belief that the problem lies in the world’s perception, not his own.

Herein lies a central key to the novel’s lasting legacy: Don Quixote frames madness and idealism not merely as opposing forces, but as intertwined impulses, creating a space where the desire to defy reality merges with the courage to imagine a better one. As a result, the character endures in the global consciousness, embodying the eternal tension between the world as it is and the world as humanity aspires for it to be.

Blending satire with philosophical reflection, the book laid the foundations of the modern novel by introducing a complex protagonist who defied traditional literary tropes. The novel conceals deep reflections on life beneath the surface of its comedy. This seamless blend of comedy and wisdom, adventure and thought, makes Don Quixote a masterpiece that invites endless discovery.

The fundamental dilemma posed by the novel feels strikingly relevant today: should one view the world as it truly is, or as one wishes it to be? This question no longer belongs solely to a 17th-century Spanish knight, it has become an integral part of the contemporary human condition in an era shaped by advancing technology and a proliferation of narratives competing with reality.

At the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, the ‘Book of the World’ embodies a work that has transcended its homeland to enter the cultural memory of diverse nations and become a subject for translation, interpretation, rewriting, and adaptation. Don Quixote achieves this distinction effortlessly, having transcended its Spanish origins to become a cornerstone of world literature.

This meaning aligns with the vision of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC). Through flagship initiatives such as the ‘Kalima’ Translation Project, the ALC fosters cultural exchange between Arabic and other languages, makes global knowledge accessible to Arabic readers, and expands the presence of Arabic literature on the international stage.

The Arab world’s engagement with Don Quixote extends far beyond mere translation; it it has also involved re-employing its protagonist in poetry, fiction, and literary criticism. Sometimes he appears as a symbol of romantic idealism and others as an individual colliding with a reality at odds with his dreams. This openness to interpretation is what grants the novel its power of survival and renewal.

The brilliance of Don Quixote as the ‘Book of the World’ lies in its timelessness and universality. It is a book about humanity’s endeavour to shape the world in the image of its ideals.

In conclusion, designating Don Quixote as the ‘Book of the World’ at the 35th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair reinforces the idea that books can serve as  shared spaces among people, even when their languages, memories, and experiences differ.