On the second day of the Doha International Book Fair (DIBF) at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, in the midst of a very busy and eventful evening, and a great turnout from eager readers of all ages and categories, Samir al-Jundi spoke to Gulf Times in an exclusive interview.

The author and publisher said: "I am honoured to be at the DIBF, especially this year, which has designated Palestine as the guest of honour for its 34th edition. We are part of this Palestinian pavilion, where 11 publishing houses from Palestine participate in this edition of the DIBF.

We, at Al-Jundi Publishing House, are based in Jerusalem. To celebrate this occasion, we have decided to bring to this pavilion only new books published in 2025. So that there is something new to be seen at this beautiful exhibition. Therefore, it is worth noting that we have more than 105 new titles in this stand, all of which are being displayed at a book fair for the first time. Al-Jundi Publishing House is located in Hall 2, 2H52. This stand welcomes all distinguished guests.

He added: "In addition to these books, I also have my own publications, including 'Bab al-Amud', a collection of 29 short stories, each one tackling an aspect of life in Jerusalem. I also have 'Son of Heaven', which is a very important book and one of the best books I have written, and I'm proud of this publication more than any other. The other book is the novel 'City Boy', which tells the story of a young man living in Jerusalem who managed to excel in science, education, and social standing without any help. However, what distinguishes 'City Boy' most is that this novel takes place entirely in Jerusalem.

Samir al-Jundi continued: “Another of my new books, the 2025 edition 'Jerusalem Rituals', is about seven days I spend in the streets and alleys of Old Jerusalem. When I'm walking through these alleys, if I recall a specific incident that happened somewhere—and there are many incidents in Jerusalem—I recount that incident in detail and document what I've said with photographs. Therefore, this book contains 118 colour photographs. I cherish this book and consider it important, especially for young people. I document Palestinian identity through words and photographs, and this is most important because our presence in Jerusalem is our only weapon to protect this city.

The author added: “In addition to these books, we have a collection of works by Palestinian and Arab poets, including the late poet Samih al-Qasim, may God have mercy on him, author of the poem "I Walk Upright, I Walk with My Head High, an Olive Branch in My Hand and My Coffin on My Shoulder". This beautiful poet is from the Palestinian village of al-Rama, where he lived and was laid to rest. I was present at the burial. May God have mercy on him.

He commented the other books: “The remaining publications are by authors from all over the Arab world, because one of the goals of Dar al-Jundi Publishing House is to attract writers, authors, and scholars to publish their books in Jerusalem to strengthen our presence, and the most important element of this presence is culture.

He stressed: “Jerusalem has always been the capital of culture, and therefore, we at Dar al-Jundi seek to prove this principle in practice through the diversity of our publications and the depth of these publications.

"We have very important publications, for example, the book "The Mother in the Morals of the Messenger," in four volumes. This is the first time such a title has been published, and it's by the brilliant Egyptian scholar Muhammad al-Sayyid al-Shinnawi. This man, who vowed to print and publish all of his works in Jerusalem without asking us a single penny. He has published more than 20 publications, all of which are in-depth studies. Among the titles he has published in Jerusalem are 'Market Ethics', the relationship with the customer and how to deal with him and the merchant, and the Factory, basing this on the Prophet's Sunnah and the Holy Qur'an.

Al-Shinnawi also has a new reading of 'The Inevitability of Israel's Demise', based on the Sunnah, the Qur'an, and history. We printed it in Jerusalem. He also has 'Jerusalem and the Supposed Promise.'

Regarding the reception of the Palestinian pavilion by the organizers of the DIBF, Samir al-Jundi said: "It is enough for you to visit the Book Fair and visit the Palestine pavilion to find this more than wonderful reception from the organizers of the fair and the officials from the Ministry of Culture, headed by HE the Minister Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani. This hospitality has warmed our hearts. The sight of the State of Palestine pavilion at the DIBF is truly beautiful, and I am very happy with this participation."

Regarding the turnout, Samir al-Jundi added: "The audience at the DIBF is a qualitative one. As many as 18 out of 20 people who attend the stand buy books. If this indicates anything, it reflects the value of the person who comes; a serious and committed reader who buys books that will benefit them, and this is very important."

The exhibition will extend over 10 days, providing a unique cultural experience for readers of all ages and from different venues.