Falling in love with someone can be hit or miss; fortunately, you can never go wrong with books. They’re there when you need them most, even if they’re a means to escape the banality of everyday life. Give me an un-put-down-able fantasy hardcover any day of the week and you won’t see me come out of my room till I finish the whole thing.

We book-lovers are a curious, word-hungry breed. If I happen to spot someone reading on the subway, I find myself unabashedly staring at the book he/she is engrossed in, not giving up till I at least have a title (if not the author name) to Google for later. We crave our daily recommended dose of reading (sometimes a bit more) and just don’t settle for anything less.

I recently had the pleasure to volunteer at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature (EAFOL) and it was exciting to see such a massive turnout of book-lovers from the UAE and beyond. Since I volunteered with EAFOL as a photographer, I had the pleasure of catching some avid readers in the act – guilty as charged!

This photo-montage is a tribute to all fellow book-worms across the globe; so keep calm and readeth on!