International Prize for Arabic Fiction winner Saud Al Sanousi, British historian Peter Frankopan and Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram are among the names announced for upcoming the Sharjah International Book Fair.
The world’s third-largest book fair will run from November 1 to 11 at the Expo Centre Sharjah and is set to host up to 1,650 exhibitors spanning 60 countries.
The fair will also see the debut of publishers from South Korea, Bangladesh and Denmark.
The United Kingdom has also been announced as the country of honour, which will result in a range of festival activities celebrating English literature and cultural ties between the UAE and the UK.
With the overarching theme of “A World Inside My Book”, the 36th edition of the fair is expected to hold more than 1.5 million book titles in various languages, in addition to hosting events ranging from panel discussions and book signings to performance and cooking demonstrations.
On the regional front, a strong list of cultural personalities will attend the festival, such as Syrian artist Ghassan Massoud, Algerian novelist Waciny Laredj, Saudi writer Abdo Khal and Palestinian poet and novelist Ibrahim Nasrallah.
The international guest list also includes American young-adult-fiction author and novelist Peter Lerangis and compatriot Victoria Christopher, French writer Julien Columeau, Indian photographer and filmmaker Ryan Lobo, Filipino poet and novelist Edgar Samar, Pakistani journalist and author Mohammed Hanif and Jamaican poet Lorna Goodison.
The fair will also see the return of its popular event streams such as the Intellectual Programme of discussions; the Culture Cafe, which will see select international authors discussing their work; and a bumper children's programme, featuring 44 authors from 20 countries.
The Cooking Corner will also make a comeback, with 72 demonstrations featuring 12 guests from countries including India, the UK, Morocco, Sweden and Thailand.
The fair will take on a more technological bent this year, with the launch a new pavilion called The Future Zone, where 10 digital book publishers will showcase their latest publications. A new mobile app will be available to allow visitors and exhibitors to keep track of events, schedules and the location of exhibitors.
“The Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) has turned into an all-inclusive cultural project, with books and associated initiatives constituting its primary focus,” says the fair’s chairman Ahmed Al Ameri.
“SIBF serves as a beacon of knowledge that brings together publishers, authors, book enthusiasts and internationally acclaimed guests in a shared passion for literature and culture.”
For more information, visit www.sibf.com
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