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Held in collaboration with the Juma Al Majid Centre for Culture and Heritage and the Sharjah Museums Authority, the event drew a vibrant mix of academics, students, professionals and culture enthusiasts, all eager to explore the delicate craft of preserving literary heritage. Through expert-led demonstrations and hands-on workshops, attendees gained insights into traditional restoration and bookbinding techniques. Praised for its educational depth, ‘Reviving Forgotten Pages' highlighted the historical and intellectual value of old books, inviting the community to reflect on the enduring link between writing, cultural identity, and collective memory in Sharjah and the region.
The event opened with a lecture by Dr. Bassam Daghestani, Head of the Preservation, Processing and Restoration Department at the Juma Al Majid Centre. He highlighted the importance of manuscripts as a shared human heritage and showcased the UAE’s leading role in their preservation, and outlined the environmental threats posed to the delicate materials and detailed the restoration process, beginning with sterilisation using hydrogen gas to prevent microbial damage.
The session explored methods such as dry cleaning for dust removal, chemical treatments to reduce paper acidity and skilled manual restoration using materials closely matching the originals. Dr. Daghestani also discussed the limited yet precise role of machine-based restoration and concluded with essential post-restoration practices, including digitising manuscripts to minimise handling, rebinding for protection, and storing them in controlled environments to safeguard them for future generations.
As part of its interactive programme, the ‘Book Clinic’ corner invited visitors to immerse themselves in book conservation through two specialist workshops, held in collaboration with the Juma Al Majid Centre. In the first session, an expert demonstrated manuscript restoration techniques, guiding participants through the process of repairing damaged paper using materials closely matched to the originals. Tools and lighting equipment used to assess manuscript condition were also on display. In the second, visitors took part in a hands-on bookbinding workshop, learning the steps of manual binding using traditional tools and methods, from applying covers and adhesives to trimming and aligning pages.
The event concluded with a workshop for children and young participants, offering an engaging introduction to ancient writing techniques using clay tablets. Inspired by prehistoric inscriptions from the Sharjah Archaeology Museum, the session encouraged children to explore the early history of written communication. Using simple tools, they engraved letters and symbols into clay, blending education with creativity in an experience that connected them to the origins and evolution of human expression.
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