Sharjah International Book Fair begins on October 31
SHARJAH: The 37th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2018), to be held from Oct.31 to Nov.10, will witness a remarkable increase in the number of titles to be showcased by a record number of publishing houses from across the world including many countries that are participating in the event for the first time.
Unveiling the fair activities at a press meet in Sharjah on Monday, Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) Chairman Ahmed Al Ameri said that visitors will witness exceptional diversity in terms of the activities and titles on display.
The fair will showcase more than 1.6 million titles, including 80,000 new titles. Over 1,800 publishing houses from 77 countries will be participating in the fair held under the theme “Tale of Letters.”
The SBA Chairman said that ever since its inception, the fair has been regarded as a cultural platform where civilisations and cultures meet, knowledge is shared via humane dialogue, and cross-cultural communication is enhanced through books.
GUEST OF HONOUR
Al Ameri announced that Japan will be the Guest of Honour at the SIBF 2018, where 13 Japanese writers and creative artists will be engaging in a variety of events, spanning across classical music concerts, popular music and book signing ceremonies.
Speaking on the occasion, Consul General of Japan in Dubai Dr Akima Umezawa said that Japan is proud to be the Guest of Honour at SIBF, which is one of the world’s largest book fairs.
He pointed out that Japan’s pavilion will host an elite group of Japanese novelists and will curate classical music concerts and other traditional music concerts, in addition to the array of Japanese food and traditional garments on display.
FESTIVAL GUESTS
The 11-day literary extravaganza will see 1,800 cultural, entertainment and artistic events featuring 472 guests from across the world. The SIBF’s Cultural Programme will host 154 guests from 25 countries that are taking part in 272 events, while Children’s Programme will see 950 events featuring 45 guests from 12 countries.
Among the prominent figures who will be enriching the SIBF 2018 are Algerian novelist Ahlam Mosteghanemi, Egyptian novelist Ahmed Murad, Kuwaiti novelist Dr Taleb Al Rifai, Sudanese novelist Amir Taj Al Sir, Jordanian-Palestinian novelist and poet Ibrahim Nasrallah, Lebanese novelist Alwiyah Subeh, and Dr Ahmed Amara from Egypt and many more.
Representing the UAE at the fair will be Rashid Abdullah Al Nuaimi, UAE Ambassador to France Omar Ghobash, novelist Sultan Al Omaimi, poet Kholoud Al Mualla, poet and writer Saleha Ghabesh, and actor-director Habib Ghuloom, alongside an impressive elite group of Arab writers, literati, poets and intellectuals.
The SIBF 2018 will see a distinguished list of renowned personalities and writers from around the world, including James Montgomery, who specialises in translating Arabic poetry into English; Dr Leonard Mlodinow, an American theoretical physicist, screenwriter and author; Emma Gannon, a Sunday Times Bestselling business author, podcaster and broadcaster from the UK; James Parkinson, American writer A.G.; Lebanese -Canadian Najwa Zeiban; Egyptian-British Hannah Fielding; Indonesian author, poet, and architect Avianti Armand, and others. The fair will bring together an impressive assembly of acclaimed Indian figures including motivational speaker Gaur Gopal Das; actress, director and social activist Nandita Das; and Dr L. Subramaniam, a composer, conductor and violinist. Other prominent Indian names include K V Shamsudheen, investor and financial consultant; Karan Thapar, a journalist and television commentator; film actor and director Prakash Raj; and famous actress and writer Soha Ali Khan, and YouTuber Lilly Singh (iisuperwomanii).
ACTIVITIES
The Cookery Corner will encompass 60 events presented by 15 guests from 11 countries, most notably France, India, Australia, Ireland and Morocco.
The ‘Social Media Station’ will see 136 activities and specialised workshops involving a gathering of social media influencers who will share their personal experiences in digital medium as well as their knowledge and expertise in today’s communication and media.
The Children’s Programme will offer an array of events, theatrical performances, shows and workshops, such as ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, the King of Lions’, inspired by Disney’s film of the same title, and the ‘Abqour’ at which the kids will watch the story of a Japanese cartoon character with his friends. The fifth edition of the ALA Library Conference, which is organised annually by SBA in partnership with the American Library Association, will run from Nov.6-8.
Prior to the opening of SIBF, the 8th Publishers Conference will be held from Oct.28-30, in collaboration with the Centre for Publishing at New York University, which will be attended by 460 international publishing rights professionals.
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