2.17M visited SIBF from 112 countries
Consolidating its position as the world's largest book fair for the second year in a row in terms of buying and selling of copyrights, the 41st Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) received 2.17 million readers from 112 countries during the 12-day cultural extravaganza that ran under the theme, ‘Spread the Word'.
Organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), the fair's visitors comprised 54.2 per cent male and 45.8 per cent female. Of these, 40.8 per cent were in the 16-25 age group while 35.1 per cent formed part of the 25-45 age group.
Embodying its vision of building new generations of readers, SIBF 2022 received 218,000 students. For young pupils, the book fair is an important annual cultural destination that provides their libraries with new Arabic and foreign publications, and facilitates the opportunity to meet their favourite writers and cultural personalities, including content creators, artists and social media influencers.
SIBF 2022, which celebrated Italy as the Guest of Honour, hosted a galaxy of authors, sports personalities, intellectuals, artists, popular cinema icons from the Arab region and the subcontinent, and a host of specialised experts to drive home Sharjah's cultural campaign to the world, ‘If you're into something, you're into books'.
Through a diverse array of activities including music, arts, poetry evenings, and more under its vibrant cultural programme, the fair has strengthened and deepened connections between books and every aspect of human life.
SIBF 2022 welcomed footballing legend Zlatan Ibrahimović; India's most celebrated actor Shah Rukh Khan; Egyptian actor Karim Abdul Aziz, lead star of The Blue Elephant; Egypt's renowned action hero Ahmed El Sakka; and Saudi Arabia's prized musician Abadi Al Johar, among a host of other cultural celebrities.
Sudanese historian Yusuf Fadl Hasan was celebrated as ‘Cultural Personality' of SIBF 2022 while the fair also hosted a distinguished group of regional and international guests in the 41st edition, including Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka, winner of the 2022 Booker Prize; Geetanjali Shree, Hindi-language author and winner of the International Booker prize; Algerian novelist Waciny Laredj, Egyptian writer Ahmad Mourad, and author Sultan Al Amimi, Chairman of the Emirates Writers Union, amongst others.
The forum discussed some of the most prominent issues impacting Arab and world literature. Over the course of 12 days, the SIBF hosted more than 200 cultural discussions to enrich and educate visitors.