Sharjah book fair to showcase over a whopping 15m titles

SHARJAH: The Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) is gearing up to showcase a staggering 15 million books from 1,576 publishing houses in its upcoming 40th edition.

Among these books coming to the muchawaited global event, which will be held under the theme ‘ There’s always a right book’ from Nov. 3 – 13 at Expo Centre Sharjah, will be 1.3 million unique titles from around the world, including 110,000 which will be making their SIBF debut.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, SIBF 2021 will bring together 85 writers, artists, creatives from 22 countries, and present 970 events, including cultural sessions, shows, performances, seminars and workshops.

This year, the book signing corner will feature local and foreign authors who will be signing their books for fans covering a variety of genres including poetry, fiction, history, literary criticism, translations, cookbooks, children’s literature, arts, legal research, archaeology among others.

Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA, said that the continuing success of SIBF was not only a reaffirmation of its core belief that books are the foundation for knowledge, but also serves to advance the publishing sector regionally and internationally.

The event, he said, is at the core of a vibrant global cultural movement as it hosts diverse activities that bring together distinguished intellectuals and authors from around the world.

He said: “The international event provides a great impetus to the publishing sector and brings authors and publishing professionals closer to their readers. It also aligns with the vision of Sheikh Sultan, to build a bright present and promising future for individuals, especially young genetrations, by fostering knowledge through Sharjah’s comprehensive cultural project.”

He pointed out that the 40th edition will offer publishers from over 38 countries a leading plaform to showcase titles in various languages and genres. At the same time, owing to its status as one of the top three book fairs in the world, SIBF 2021 will also bring invaluable opportunities to emerging startups in the industry to showcase their works and network.

This year, Egypt tops the list of countries participating in SIBF with 295 publishers, followed by 250 from the UAE, 138 from the UK, 112 from Lebanon, 93 from Syria and 76 from Jordan.

India is participating with 87 publishers, followed by US with 48, 26 from Italy, 16 each from Canada and Brazil, 14 from Spain, and 12 each from Mexico and France. Nine countries will debut in SIBF, including Colombia, South Sudan, Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

SIBF 2021 will host Kuwaiti journalist and writer Taleb Al Refai as a cultural personality of the year to honour his rich contributions to Arabic literature through his novels, short stories, literary criticisms, as well as his role in reviving the Gulf region’s literature and building bridges between Arab and Western cultures for over three decades.

The richness and diversity of global literature and culture will be represented by Tanzanian novelist and the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 marking his first international participation ater winning the prestigious award, Abdulrazak Gurnah, who is making his first appearance in a global event since being honoured with the title; Chris Gardner; writer Yasmina Khadra; Amitav Ghosh; Chetan Bhagat; and the young inventor Gitanjali Rao from America.

SIBF 2021 is organising 355 activities, shows and workshops for children this year, which will be led by professionals and experts from 9 countries.

In addition, the 11-day fair will feature an outdoor exhibition from Canada titled ‘A Nomadic Heart’, which is dedicated to celebrating the literary experiences of the Haitian-canadian novelist Dany Laferrière and includes 7 interactive shows based on 3 of his novels.

In line with its strict health and safety framework, the book fair will be open once again for school and university visits throughout its 11-day duration.

SIBF 2021 visitor capacity protocol is that the numbers will be capped at 80 per cent of the venue’s full capacity.

SIBF 2021 will stage 80 awe-inspiring theatrical and dance performances as well as musicals in which artists and performing groups from 9 countries will participate. Key theatre shows include ‘The Rabbits’, featuring Bader Al Shuaibi, Faher Al Benai, Hanadi Al Kandari, Fahd Saleh, Ghrour Safr and Ahmed bin Hussein.

A total of 11 workshops at SIBFS popular Social Media Station will cover topics including social media trends, creative content and other issues during the book fair. Notable guests leading the activities include Amr Maskoun, Mohamed Tarek and Hadeel Marei.

Food lovers are in for a new culinary journey with 10 chefs and experts from 9 countries who will lead 35 activities throughout SIBF 2021.