Sharjah International Book Fair opens doors to knowledge, culture and progress
- Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- ‘Everything begins with a book‘
- Morocco, Guest of Honour
- ‘Cultural Personality of the Year‘
- Georgi Gospodinov and Javier Cercas, among the participants
Under the patronage of His Highness Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed al-Qasimi, member of the Supreme Council and ruler of Sharjah, and organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) opens its doors until 17 November at the Sharjah Exhibition Centre.
More than 2,500 publishers from 108 countries, around 400 authors and 1,400 cultural, literary and educational activities aimed at all audiences make up an ambitious programme that includes music, poetry, theatre, talks, conferences, workshops and, as in all literary fairs, writers' signings.
During the opening ceremony, His Highness, after welcoming the attendees, had words of praise for this event, which already enjoys great prestige, and highlighted the efforts being made to continue advancing knowledge, disseminating culture and strengthening Arabic in the world. He did not hesitate to affirm that books are ‘the secret of the success of the progress of countries’ and ‘the best companions in life’.
Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
He also spoke of the completion of the 127-volume Dictionary of the Arabic Language, a project in which he was personally involved and in which some 700 collaborators have been involved for seven years. ‘Preserving the language is also preserving its people, its history, its literature and its authentic identity,’ said the governor. Al-Qasimi explained that these volumes bring together the linguistic heritage, including vocabulary, poetry and linguistic references, from classical to contemporary Arabic.
Finally, he announced an ambitious new project, the Arabic Encyclopaedia, which will cover all areas of knowledge.
‘Everything begins with a book‘
‘Everything begins with a book’ is the phrase that visitors will find written around the different corners of this event. A slogan that reflects the importance of books as individuals and as a society. In this sense, Ahmed bin Rakkad al-Ameri, director general of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), spoke at the opening ceremony to affirm that books are ‘the cornerstone of our present and our future’ and ‘great works of humanity, because they are full of wisdom’. Al- Ameri recalled the emirate's commitment to promoting books and knowledge, and its efforts to defend Arab identity and involve cultures from all over the world.
Nor did he want to forget the figures that make the SIBF the world's leading fair in terms of the volume of copyright sales and purchases it generates.
Morocco, Guest of Honour
And like every year, this edition also has its special guest. If the previous edition hosted South Korea, on this occasion, the Guest of Honour is Morocco, a country that will showcase its culture and its great literary baggage at this important event and which will be attended by some of its leading writers, such as Mohammed Achaari, winner of the Booker International Prize for Arabic Fiction; Abdessalam Benabdelali, winner of the Sultan al-Owais Prize for Human Studies; the sociologist and anthropologist Rahma Bourqia; and the poet Latifa Miftah, among others. But not only literature, Morocco will take advantage of the event to develop an interesting agenda that will include cinema, theatre, music, crafts and even its cuisine in the Cookery Corner.
Representing this country was Latifa Muftaqir, director of the Books, Libraries and Archives Authority of the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, who, after highlighting the work as a cultural and knowledge capital developed by this emirate and thanking the invitation made to her kingdom, spoke of the existing twinning between Morocco and the United Arab Emirates and the cultural and human bond that unites them. He also explained that they are going to respond to this invitation with a rich programme involving 40 personalities who will carry out various cultural activities, some of which will be aimed at children.
‘Cultural Personality of the Year‘
The Algerian writer Ahlem Mosteghanemi also starred in this ceremony as she received the title of ‘Cultural Personality of the Year’ from the SIBF 2024 for her contribution to Arab literature over five decades.
The author, considered one of the most influential in the Arab cultural world, emphasised the role that the emirate plays, thanks to its governor and SBA President Sheikha Bodour al Qasimi, in promoting knowledge, fostering creativity and celebrating books and their literary production.
She recalled the first time she visited Sharjah, twenty years ago, and the warmth with which she was treated, but neither these beautiful memories nor the joy of this tribute made her forget the sadness of so many children dying in Gaza and Lebanon.
Georgi Gospodinov and Javier Cercas, among the participants
Over the next few days, visitors to the fair will be able to enjoy talks and meetings with internationally renowned writers such as the Bulgarian Georgi Gospodinov, winner of the 2023 International Booker Prize; the Canadian physicist and cosmologist Lawrence M. Krauss; the Pakistani novelist Amna Mufti; the Indian actress and author Huma Qureshi; the British Tahir Shah and Peter Frankopan; the best-selling author Stephen Bartlett; and the Spanish writer Javier Cercas. They are joined by Arab authors such as the Egyptians Hisham El Gakh, Ibrahim Abdel Meguid and the actor Ahmed Ezz; the Kuwaiti writer Laila al-Othman; and an outstanding line-up of Emirati writers: Ibrahim al-Hashimi, Ali al-Abdan, Sultan al.Ameemi, Saeed al-Dhaheri, Hamad bin Seray, Eman al-Yousuf, Amal al-Sahlawi...
There are eleven interesting days ahead of us to get into the exciting adventure of reading, meet its protagonists, soak up culture, be surprised by the creativity of different artists while strolling through the corridors of the Exhibition Centre, reflect on current issues such as social networks, artificial intelligence, the creation of content or the freedom of the writer, learn in multiple workshops, watch live how outstanding international chefs cook... Enjoy, in short, the wide range of activities that this Book Fair, which goes beyond its exhibitors, offers. And let's not forget, ‘everything begins with a book’.
