Dubai: The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) held discussions with the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport regarding Spain’s participation as ‘Guest of Honour’ at the 40th edition of Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2021. The book fair runs from November 3-13 at the Expo Centre Sharjah, under the theme ‘There’s always a right book’.
A SBA delegation led by Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman, SBA, held discussions with representatives of various bodies of the Ministry of Culture and Sport in the Spanish capital, Madrid. In the presence of Majid Hassan Mohamed Al Suwaidi, Ambassador of the UAE to the Kingdom of Spain, the SBA delegation met with representatives from the Ministry for Culture and Sport including Victor Francos, Secretary General; and María José Gálvez, General Director of Books and Reading Promotion; and Faustino Diaz, Consultant at Sub-Directorate General for International Relations and the European Union.
Rich and diverse cultural programmes
The Spanish delegates briefed the SBA delegation on the rich and diverse cultural programmes that will represent the Guest of Honour country during the upcoming edition of SIBF, including the participation of Spanish authors, intellectuals, and representatives of Spanish cultural bodies. The representatives emphasised their keenness in elevating the presence of Spanish creative and publishing sectors at one of the top three international bookfairs worldwide.
They added that being the Guest of Honour of SIBF helps strengthen cultural partnerships between Sharjah and Spanish cities and enables publishers to explore new opportunities in the UAE and the region. They noted that with its nurturing environment for the book industry, Sharjah is a gateway to advance the publishing sector in the Arab world and internationally.
Gread value
For their part, the SBA delegation noted that Spain’s participation as Guest of Honour at the 2021 edition of SIBF adds great value due to the nation’s immense contribution to culture and arts throughout history. The distinguished participation will provide visitors at SIBF with a unique experience through its diverse agenda during the 11-day cultural extravaganza.
The meetings between SBA and the Spanish Ministry coincided with the activities of Sharjah Literary days, which brought together Emirati and Spanish authors and intellectuals at the Cása Árabe in Madrid and Cordoba.
