Sharjah: The 36th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) will be held on November 1-11, with the United Kingdom (UK) to be hosted as the Country of Honour, the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) announced on Tuesday.
The emirate’s celebrated book fair to be held at Expo Centre Sharjah will bring together hundreds of authors and publishers and feature a comprehensive programme of activities that include conferences, reading sessions, panel discussions and lectures.
As SIBF’s Country of Honour, the UK will be celebrated with a special programme showcasing British cultural and literary icons. The programme will be organised by the SBA in collaboration with the British Council.
“Over the course of its three-and-a-half decades, SIBF has become established as the region’s premium platform for the very best in science, literature, art and culture,” said Ahmad Al Ameri, Chairman of Sharjah Book Authority (SBA).
The SIBF will be preceded by the seventh edition of the Professional Programme on October 30-31, which is expected to draw 250 global publishers and industry experts.
The Professional Programme will highlight the most recent developments taking place in the publishing sector and will organise one-on-one matching sessions to facilitate agreement-making between attendees.
SIBF 2017 will also see the fourth edition of the ALA Library Conference, which takes place from November 7-9 and which will feature a host of librarians from the region, the US and other countries.
The conference offers an array of activities and sessions on a wide range of important topics for archivists working in university, public, school, government, and special libraries.
The fair, which was conceived by His Highness Shaikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, 35 years ago, has developed into the third-largest book fair in the world and is an event that attracts thousands of publishers, authors and illustrators — as well as millions of visitors — from around the world, he added.
“The forthcoming edition of SIBF will bring together an elite group of authors, publishers and artists from around the world, Al Ameri confirmed. “It will feature a diverse cultural programme, which will address different forms of literature, arts and sciences. The programme forms part of SIBF’s vision to be a key element in the building of a knowledge-based society and in creating a generation of readers who are the future of Sharjah and the UAE.”
On Sharjah being selected as World Book Capital 2019 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), Al Ameri said: “This title is an international recognition of Sharjah’s pivotal role in the field of culture, knowledge and literature and underscores that the emirate has become the cultural beating heart of the region.”
