Sheikha Bodour honours winners of Sharjah Book Fair 2026 awards

Sharjah: Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), honoured the winners of the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026) Awards at a ceremony held at Expo Centre Sharjah.

The awards ceremony was part of the annual book fair, organised by the SBA under the theme ‘Made of Stories’. It was attended by Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of SBA, along with writers, publishers and representatives from the cultural and media sectors.

This year's awards attracted 3,018 entries across the Emirati, Arabic and international categories, marking a significant increase from the previous edition.

Entries for the Sharjah Award for Emirati Book more than doubled, rising from 184 in 2025 to 380 this year. Submissions for the Sharjah Award for Best Arabic Novel increased from 1,339 to 1,593.

The Sharjah Award for Best International Book also recorded strong growth, receiving 1,045 entries compared with 454 last year.

Khoula Al Mujaini, General Coordinator of SIBF, said the awards recognise the work of writers and publishers who contribute to literature, knowledge and intellectual life.

She added that supporting creative talent and celebrating their achievements remained central to Sharjah's cultural vision, shaped by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.

Best Emirati Book Awards

Sheikha Bodour honoured the winners of the 2026 Best Emirati Book Awards across four categories.

Maryam Al Zarouni won the Best Emirati Novel Award for Years of the Maghreb: Marginal Notes from the Biography of the Stranger, published by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre.

The Best Emirati Academic Book went to Sorour Khalifa Al Kaabi for A Glossary of Classical Words in the Colloquial Speech of the Emirati People, published by Nabti Publishing House.

Dr. Shihab Ghanem received the Best Creative Literature Book (Poetry) for Al Makhad Fi Wadi Abqar, published by Metaverse Press FZC, while Saleh Al Bahar won the Best Emirati First Novel Award for The Moaning of the Flute, published by the Sharjah Department of Culture.

Sharjah Award for the Best Arabic Novel

Antoine Douaihy won the 2026 Sharjah Award for the Best Arabic Novel for Al Shitaa Al Kabeer, published by Arab Scientific Publishers.

Best International Book Awards

Marcia Hutchinson won the Best International Fiction Book for her novel The Mercy Step, published by Cassava Republic Press.

Nirmala Lakshman received the Best International Non-Fiction Book for The Tamils: A Portrait of a Community, published by Aleph Book Company Pvt Ltd.

Sharjah Publisher Recognition Award

Al Qasimi Publications won the Best Local Publishing House award, while Lebanon’s Arab Institute for Research and Publishing received the Best Arabic Publishing House award.

Poland’s Sonia Draga Publishing House won the Best International Publishing House award.

Honouring SIBF sponsors and partners

Her Highness Sheikha Bodour also honoured the sponsors and partners of the 45th SIBF in recognition of their contributions to the fair’s events and cultural and professional programmes.

Those recognised included Etisalat (official telecommunications partner), Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (official media partner), Bank of Sharjah (banking partner), Equiti (financial services partner), SAS (development partner), Trends Research and Advisory (knowledge partner), and Expo Centre Sharjah (strategic partner), alongside Omeir Travel Agency and National Paints.

Honouring graduates of the 2026 Launch Track

The ceremony also honoured graduates of the 2026 Launch Track, part of the Sharjah Publishing Sustainability Fund (Onshur). The programme supports emerging publishers in developing their projects and establishing publishing houses and cultural initiatives with the potential for long-term growth.

Graduates representing 16 publishing and cultural industry projects were recognised, including Esra Abdalla Ahmed Mohammed Almulla for Bloom Publishing & Distribution; the Ulfa project team, comprising Asma Karam Murad Karam Alraeesi, Hamda Ibrahim Bilal Nasir Alyassi, Mouza Saleh Mahmood Saleh Alotaiba and Mahra Ali Ahmed Abdalla; Eqlima Walid Mohammed Ali for Tawalif Publishing; Eman Abdul Hamid Matrmawi for Art4books; Alanoud Mohammed Jumaa Mubarak AlMarar for Manara Publishing and Knowledge Development; and Hafsa Hariga for Insan Platform.

Other graduates honoured were Samer Nagah Abdelfattah Ali Elboraei for Tayf Publishing and Distribution; Aysha Nayef Ahmad Abdalla for Daw Publishing House; Fatima Khalfan Obaid Busraih Alaleeli for Flamingo Publishing House; Faisal Mohammed Khamis Humaid Alshamsi for Erth Publishing & Knowledge; Lamya Ali Mohammed Ali Alsaiqal for Lamya Publishing FZE; Mira Abdelrahman Ali Abdelrahman Alhammadi for Qittah Publishing and Training House; Maitha Ali Salem Saeed Alkaabi for Numu; Hoda Kalajo for The Passion Press; Hoda Mahmoud Mostafa Saad Mahmoud Elweley for Nama Publishing & Distribution; and Yamna Saif Al Raei Al Neikhaira Alshamsi for Biban Publishing.