Sharjah International Book Fair 2025 kicks off tomorrow: Over 1,200 events, 250 authors, celebrity guests
Will Smith makes his SIBF debut and Greece is named Guest of Honour—key highlights of 2025
Sharjah: The 44th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2025) opens tomorrow under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.
The 12-day cultural extravaganza brings together over 250 authors, creatives, and intellectuals from 66 countries to lead more than 1,200 events, ranging from panel discussions to workshops.
Millions of titles on offer
Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority at Expo Centre Sharjah, SIBF 2025 features over 2,350 publishers, including 1,224 Arab and 1,126 international publishers, offering millions of titles to visitors under the theme “Between You and a Book.”
Greece as Guest of Honour
Greece has been named Guest of Honour, celebrating its cultural and literary heritage. The programme includes 58 Greek publishers and cultural institutions presenting 600 titles, alongside 70 Greek creatives including authors, poets, translators, illustrators, academics, musicians, and librarians.
Highlights at the Greek pavilion include:
Exhibition: “Greek Literature: The Long Journey”
Interactive theatre shows and musical performances
Workshops and joint sessions with Emirati creatives
Live sessions at the Cookery Corner
Cultural Personality of the Year
Egyptian writer and playwright Mohamed Salmawy has been named Cultural Personality of the Year, recognising over five decades of contributions to Arab literature, theatre, and cultural discourse.
Will Smith makes SIBF debut
International star Will Smith will appear on Friday, November 14, discussing his career in writing, film, music, and entrepreneurship, and sharing insights on persistence, creativity, and artistic growth.
Notable sessions and speakers
Khaled El Sawy and Dhafer L’Abidine: “From Acting to Writing” on November 8
Arab luminaries: Issa Yousef, Dr. Sultan Al Ameemi, Dr. Zahi Hawass, Dr. Hamad bin Seray, Ahmed Al Jasmi, Mo Gawdat, Taleb Al Refai, Abdulwahab Al Rifai
Global thinkers and authors: Carlo Rovelli, Paul Lynch, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Bano Mushtaq, Prajakta Koli, Dr. Julie Smith, Mira Sethi, Lisa Dillman
Thriller festival returns
The fourth edition of the Thriller Festival runs November 8–11 with 13 authors and experts in crime, mystery, and psychological thrillers from North America, South Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Highlights include:
Interactive theatrical performance “Murder at the Majlis” by AUS graduate Bhoomika Ghaghada, directed by Tarun Shyam
Participation from international authors including Jennifer Hillier, Chris Pavone, Ragnar Jónasson, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, S. Hussain Zaidi, Omar Shahid Hamid, Mirna Al Mahdi
Over 1,200 events and 750 workshops
SIBF 2025 features:
1,200 events, including 300 cultural sessions
66 international speakers from 19 countries, 62 Arab speakers from 20 countries, and 30 Emirati participants
750 workshops, covering translation, creative writing, screenwriting, and publishing
Popular workshops include:
“What Do Translators Really Do?”
“Creative Writing”
“From Final Draft to Finished Book”
Children’s sessions: “Mini Library,” “Mini Café,” “Make Your Own Frame,” “Build Your Own House”
Poetry and Languages
The Poetry Café hosts sessions in Arabic, Greek, English, Russian, Urdu, Punjabi, Malayalam, and Tagalog, featuring poets such as Saeed Al Mana, Hamad Al Braidi, Danae Sioziou, Saara Ali, Dr. Zubair Farooq, Maxim Zamshev, Mikhail Levantovskiy, Ataul Haq Qasmi, Surendar Sharma, Luna Sicat Cleto and others.
Pop-up academy, podcasts, and cookery corner
Pop-Up Academy: Sessions led by influencers in literature, media, art, and technology
Poetry Pharmacy: Bilingual Arabic-English “prescriptions” of poetry
Podcast Station: Regional shows including Asmar, Jolan, Karakpodcast, Kirsi Al Ithnayn, Takhayyal, Arab Cast
Cookery Corner: 35 live sessions led by 14 international chefs, including Hisham Asaad, Fadi Kattan, Philip Khoury, Hawa Hassan, Ashia Ismail-Singer, Susana Villasuso, Mama Wafaa, Diaa Al Hanoun
Strategic partners
SIBF 2025 is supported by:
e& (official partner)
Arada (development partner)
Invest Bank and Bank of Sharjah (banking partners)
Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (official media partner)
Expo Centre Sharjah (strategic partner)
Abu Dhabi Media (media partner)
Trends Research and Advisory (knowledge partner)
Sharjah International Airport (strategic partner)
Central Finance Department (fintech partner)
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