80,000 new titles at Sharjah fair
THE 37TH AND BIGGEST EDITION TO DATE WILL FEATURE A RECORD NUMBER OF PUBLISHERS FROM 77 COUNTRIES
A record 1,874 publishers are participating in the exhibition starting October 31, with a total of 1.6 million books on sale |
Visitors can buy from 80,000 new books, out of 1.6 million titles, at the 37th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), which begins on October 31, officials announced yesterday.
SIBF, which organisers say is the world’s third largest book fair, will run from October 31 to November 10 at Expo Centre Sharjah.
The 11-day free-to-enter fair is open to all members of the public. Details of SIBF 2018 were announced by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), which organises the fair, during a press conference yesterday.
SIBF 2018, held under the theme ‘Tale of Letters’, will be the biggest edition so far in terms of the number of publishers (1,847 publishers from 77 countries) and the volume of books (1.6 million titles).
Last year, 2.38 million people visited SIBF, according to SBA. The previous 36th edition also recorded Dh206 million in book sales.
International guests
This year’s guests include UK writers James E. Montgomery, Bruce Parry and Emma Gannon. American authors include Dr Leonard Mlodinow, James W. Parkinson and A.J. Finn.
There will be surprise announcements regarding more names on the guest list, SBA chairman Ahmad Al Ameri told Gulf News.
Popular guests from India include Bollywood star Soha Ali Khan, Prakash Raj and Karan Thapar, among others.
Visitors will also get a chance to explore Japanese literature and culture as Japan is this year’s ‘SIBF Guest of Honour’. Japanese books, authors, food and activities will be featured at the Japanese pavilion.
Speaking at the press conference, Dr Akima Umezawa, Japan’s consul general in Dubai, expressed his “heartfelt gratitude” for the “great honour” of Japan as the guest of honour at SIBF 2018.
He added that visitors will be able to “enjoy Japanese culture as if you were visiting Japan”.
He said that His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, has previously noted that “multiculturalism is the solid foundation for a successful future”.
Dr Umezawa said Japan has a rich culture and he felt proud that his country will be participating in SIBF in Sharjah, which he described as “a culture-rich city”.