Photos: Huge turnout at the 40th Sharjah International Book fair

Huge turnout of visitors at the Sharjah book fair. The event, taking place at the Expo Centre Sharjah until November 13, brings together more than 1,600 publishers from 83 countries and 15 million books. This year’s event is the largest since the fair was established in 1982.

The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) had announced that the 40th edition of SIBF has become the world’s largest book fair. SIBF has earned the title of the world’s largest book fair for the first time since its inception in 1982.

School students during the fair.

The Sharjah International Book Fair, one of the most anticipated events on the UAE’s cultural calendar, opened on November 3 with even bigger space, more books, more events and expectedly more visitors than ever — bigger even than pre-COVID-19 days.

Students of Far Eastern Private School browse books at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2021 at Expo Centre Sharjah.

The fair, which will run from November 3 to 13 at the Expo Centre Sharjah, is held this year under the theme of ‘There’s always a right book’, with more than 15 million books and hundreds of events in the presence of cultural and literature icons — Nobel and Booker laureates, prominent authors and screenwriters from around the world.

Last year’s show, which was held in-person as the coronavirus pandemic waned, was an exceptional success in both the literal and figurative sense.

What a poignant line to describe a book fair that showcases millions of titles across a 10,000 sqm area.

Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, SIBF 2021 will host 85 writers and intellectuals who will lead the fair’s 970 events and activities.

There will certainly be the usual precautionary measures in place including the face mask rule to ensure the safety of guests and participants in the fair.

With these measures and the success of the country in winning the fight against the virus, this year’s book fair is expected to be a pleasant experience for all.

This is the message that Sharjah, under the guidance of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, is sending out. Above, children during a workshop at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2021 at Expo Centre Sharjah.

Sheikh Sultan’s efforts in the past five decades have made the emirate a cultural hub in this part of the world.

Sharjah’s name has become synonymous worldwide with culture and books. Today, the Sharjah International Book Fair is the third-largest book fair in the world, cited in the same conversations as those in New York, London and Frankfurt.

Visitors on the first day of Sharjah International Book Fair 2021 at Expo Centre Sharjah.

These efforts have thus made it natural for Sharjah to host such a high profile event, with hundreds of thousands of visitors expected, in such extraordinary circumstances.

Performers at nature mascots at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2021 at Expo Centre Sharjah.