Sharjah book fair to showcase over a whopping 15 million books

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

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 much-awaited global event, which will be held under the theme 'There's always a right book' from November 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.

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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.

The Sharjah book fair is at the core of a vibrant global cultural movement.

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 His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, 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 platform 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.