Sharjah International Book Fair will take place between November 2 and 13 at the Expo Centre Sharjah.
The 41st annual event will see 2,213 publishers from 95 countries showcasing more than 1.5 million titles.
Sharjah International Book Fair 2022
This year, the Sharjah International Book Fair is held under the theme ‘Spread the Word’ .
It will be the largest contingent of global publishers ever to attend the book fair in its 41-year history, making the region’s biggest celebration of books, reading, culture, and creativity.
There will be 1,047 activities led by 129 authors, intellectuals, and experts from 57 countries worldwide at the Expo Centre Sharjah.
This year, Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) will be celebrating Italy as the Guest of Honour, with Italian authors intellectuals, artists and publishers presenting the cultural prowess and impact of the historic European nation. Italy will organise 17 activities as part of its cultural programme, out of which 4 events are part of the Cookery Corner and 5 are children’s activities, in addition to 6 entertainment shows and roaming shows.
Notable Italian authors participating in SIBF 2022 include Viola Ardone, Luigi Ballerini, Alessandro Baricco, and Francesca Corrao.
International Booker Prize winner Geetanjali Shree, Ipaf winner Mohammed Alnas, Quantum Healing author eepak Chopra and Big Nate cartoonist Lincoln Peirce are among the leading names set to participate in the Sharjah International Book Fair 2022.
According to Mansour AlHassani, director of publisher’s services at SBA, Sharjah International Boof Fair 2022 will bring together 1,298 Arab and 915 international publishers to the event for the first time.
It also marks the debut participation of publishers from 10 countries including Cuba, Costa Rica, Liberia, Philippines, Ireland, Malta, Mali, Jamaica, Iceland and Hungary.
With the participation of 339 publishing houses, the UAE tops the list of Arab publishers, followed by Egypt with 306 participants and Lebanon and Syria represented by 125 and 95 publishers respectively. On the international level, 112 publishers will be coming from India while the UK will be represented by 61 publishers.
What’s new at SBIF this year
The 41st edition of the SIBF will debut six new programmes, including a three-day Thriller Festival between November 8-10 to offer writers specialised in suspense and crime genres an opportunity to showcase their works and participate in workshops, discussion panels, and book signing sessions. The event is organised in partnership with ThrillerFest in New York.
Food lovers can experience an unique culinary journey with eight chefs from four countries and experts from nine countries who will lead 30 cookery activities throughout the book fair.
Comic lovers will have an opportunity to take part in a whopping 188 activities and workshops covering 16 topics, in addition to four roaming shows.
With a special Philippines Cultural Programme, an entire day will be dedicated to the UAE’s large Filipino community.
Children’s programme at SIBF 2022
Sharjah International Book Fair 2022 will host 623 activities, shows and workshops for children this year, which will be led by 45 professionals and experts from 14 countries. 123 shows featuring theatre, dance performances and musicals
Publishers conference
The Publishers Conference will be held as part of the fair from October 30 and November 1, with more 30 speakers and experts that will lead 8 panel discussions.
The three-day event will address issues and challenges facing the publishing sector, the future of digital publishing in the Arab world and spotlight emerging markets to promote audiobooks.
More than 230 Arab publishers will receive specialised training in collaboration with New York University that focuses on international publishing standards and practices.
National libraries summit
The second edition of the two-day National Libraries Summit will be organised at Expo Centre Sharjah on November 6–7 in partnership with the American Library Association, and will see the participation of delegates from 30 countries.
Sharjah International Library Conference
The 9th edition of the Sharjah International Library Conference (SILC), held in collaboration with the American Library Association (ALA), will run between November 8-10, and bring together an international group of librarians and experts representing various libraries in the US and countries around the world.
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The Sharjah International Book Fair began 40 years ago in 1982 to realise the human-centric developmental vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to promote cultural understanding and exchange through books and reading. Today, SIBF is the crown jewel of the emirate’s prodigious cultural movement and one of the top three book fairs in the world.
Venue: Expo Centre Sharjah on the street Al Taawun Street.
