Logos Hope, the world's biggest floating library, is expected to berth in Seychelles' Port Victoria on August 10 and will open for the public from August 11 until August 16.
Logos Hope returns to the islands nearly eight years after its visit in November 2015, at the beginning of its African tour.
During this time people of all ages will have the chance to not only visit the ship - whose goal is to share knowledge, help and bring hope - but will have the chance to buy a wide selection of books.
A representative from the ship who is already in the island nation to prepare for the arrival of Logos Hope, Sarah Muëller, said the arrival of the ship would allow Seychellois to discover new cultures and they are also being encouraged to volunteer onboard the ship.
"We would really love to work with all of you and invite you to join our volunteer's programme. It's a programme, where you will have the opportunity to work with our crew on board. A crew from over sixty nationalities, you will get to know many different cultures, many different people and be a part of a discipleship programme," explained Muëller, who is from Germany.
People who are interested to join the volunteer programme should be aged 18 and above and should be available for the whole duration that the Logos Hope is in Port Victoria. They will also attend training sessions.
Another crew member, Cynthia Yang, who is from Taiwan, added that the arrival of the ship will not only be about literature but "will include onboard events as well as ministries." These ministries will be done with Christian churches targeting children and church leaders.
A book enthusiast, Daniella Marie, told SNA that the return of the floating book fair is long overdue. "I think we have a lack of options for books, reading... well literature in general, so we look forward to this opportunity, and I hope that as it has been the case in the past, the books are affordable."
Logos Hope's sister Ship 'Doulos' visited the island nation in 1993, 1995, and 2005. The 'Doulos' was decommissioned and sold at the end of 2009.
Access to the ship
The vessel, onboard which there is a 350-member crew, will allow access to over 5000 titles with books about education, business, management, recipes, fiction, science, sports, hobbies, and family life, with children's titles, academic texts, dictionaries, atlases among others, and these are promised to all be available at an affordable price.
On the first three days, Logos Hope will be open from 1.00 pm to 7.30 pm. From August 12 to August 16, the doors will open at 9.30 am and close at 7.30 pm.
People of all ages will not only visit the ship but will have the chance to buy a wide selection of books. (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY
Entrance to the book fair will cost SCR10 ($0.75), however, children under 12 as well as adults over 65 years of age can enter for free. Visitors are encouraged to bring along their identification cards. Minors will have to be accompanied by an adult. Tickets will be sold at the entrance on the day.
The public will be able to make purchases in cash – Seychelles rupees, euros, or US dollars – or by using credit cards. Debit cards cannot not be used.
Events onboard the ship
The ship will also host events onboard with aim to share cultures because they believe they can inspire through different cultures, according to Müller
Meanwhile, Yang shared that there will be two events organised during Logos Hope's stay in Seychelles. The first will be held on August 12 with an only-women audience in mind. Called "Wonderfully Made," the event will take place between 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm and tickets will cost SCR25 ($2).
The second event will be a cultural performance for the whole public by 12 of the different cultures on Logos Hope. "Meet the World" will take place on August 14 from 6.00 pm to 7.30 pm. Tickets will cost SCR50 ($4).
The organisers recommend that tickets are bought in advance as the number of seats is limited.
The travels of Logos Hope
According to its website, currently, the Logos Hope is in Port Salalah in Oman, and from Seychelles it will travel to Kenya. Other stops to Tanzania, Madagascar and Mozambique that are planned for the later part of this year and early January are yet to be confirmed.
Since the beginning of this year, the ship has made stops in Muscat, Oman, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, Manama, Bahrain, Basra, Iraq, the city of Djibouti in Djibouti, Jizan and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Aqaba, Jordan, Port Said, Egypt, and Beirut, Lebanon.
Logos Hope is owned by the GBA ships. The organisation is a German-based non-profit organisation Gute Bücher für Alle (GBA Ships) or "Good Books for all" in English. Since 1970, its ships have visited over 480 different ports in more than 150 countries and territories and welcomed over 49 million visitors.
Source: Seychelles News Agency