Guest of Honour: Seoul International Book Fair to spotlight Sharjah's cultural showcase
- 05 Jun 2023
South Korea will highlight Sharjah's prominent cultural leadership in the Arab region at the 65th annual Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF). As the Guest of Honour, Sharjah will be celebrated during the 5-day event from June 14 to 18.
Led by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), the cultural showcase in Seoul will feature a diverse program of 33 events curated by SBA and 12 cultural entities.
The participation of 11 Emirati writers, intellectuals, and academics aims to foster a better understanding of the UAE's and the region's Arabic language, literature, art, and culture among South Koreans.
By leading the Guest of Honour programme at SIBF, Sharjah aims to strengthen the global presence and popularity of Emirati and Arab cultures while creating new opportunities for literary and business exchanges, particularly focusing on Arabic-Korean translations.
The Sharjah pavilion will serve as a platform for dialogue between writers from South Korea and Sharjah, showcasing the efforts of Emirati publishers and highlighting their contributions to the development of the publishing industry on Arab and global stages.
Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, Chairperson of SBA, said, "Nothing surpasses the role of culture in forging connections between cities and nations. This interaction has left an indelible mark on the languages, customs, traditions, and collective wisdom of each culture involved. Celebrating Sharjah represents a great opportunity for the Emirati cultural movement to strengthen cultural bridges with its Korean counterpart, and it is important to appreciate the volume of knowledge, literature, and arts translated from Korean into Arabic, and vice versa. Today, our mission is to learn from our ancestors; Arab and Muslim scholars and writers; who travelled to various countries, documented their experiences, translated their literature and sciences, and contributed to our own renaissance. The influence of their work continues to illuminate the world to this day.”
The Guest of Honour programme encompasses a wide range of topics in literature, poetry, heritage, and art. The agenda includes a session by PublisHer - an international movement launched by Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi to address the persistent gaps in female representation and leadership in global publishing. The discussion will zoom in on women's role in the South Korean publishing industry.
The Sharjah pavilion will host poetry readings, bringing together female poets from the UAE and South Korea. Various other events spanning calligraphy workshops, literary talks, discussions on folktale heritage, fine arts gatherings, translations and the realities of women's literature, will take place to enable participants from both sides develop a stronger understanding of their cultural similarities and differences.
The emirate's participation in the book fair provides a unique opportunity for intellectuals and researchers to explore the potential for enhancing Arab-Korean cultural relations. The workshops will cover diverse topics like digital arts, converting Emirati and Korean folk poetry into written anthologies, and comparing printing techniques.
The Sharjah-led discussions and workshops will see the participation of leading Emirati intellectuals, academics, authors, poets, and journalists, including author Sultan Al Amimi, Chairman of the Emirates Writers Union; poets Kholoud Al Mualla, Najat Al Dhaheri, and Dr Aisha Al Shamsi; author Asma Al Hamadi, journalist Aisha Sultan, author and poet Shaikha Al Jabri; authors Dr Badia Al Hashemi and Dubai Abulhoul; Eisa Yousif, Director of Archaeology Department at Sharjah Archaeology Authority, and researcher Ali Al Abdan.
WAM
