Sharjah24: House of Wisdom (HoW), Sharjah’s iconic modern-day hub for learning and creativity, is proving to be a major draw at the ongoing 49th edition of the London Book Fair (LBF), which ran from April 5–7 at Olympia Exhibition Centre in London.
HoW, part of Sharjah’s Market Focus programme at LBF 2022, is leveraging the global spotlight the emirate is under at the book fair to inform and educate visitors from the UK and around the world about its myriad offerings.
Commenting on their participation, Marwa Al Aqroubi, Director, HoW, noted that the huge footfall of curious readers, publishers, and other visitors to their stand at LBF 2022 is proof of the cultural impact Sharjah has made on the global stage. She elaborated: “Since its opening by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, HoW has gained prominence not just in the UAE, but around the world. Through international showcases such as this one, aim to deliver the message to the world that Sharjah – a culture- and knowledge-loving city – will continue to offer social spaces like HoW to foster learning, innovation, creativity and dialogue.”
During the three-day book fair in the UK capital, HoW held several meetings with cultural centres and libraries from around the world to exchange experiences and best practices, explore future collaborations, and open up intercultural dialogues.
Developed by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) in celebration of the emirate’s yearlong tenure as UNESCO World Book Capital 2019, the cultural hub, which is home to a futuristic library, provides immersive reading experiences, was recently in the running to win the ninth edition of LBF’s International Excellence Awards, in the ‘Library of the Year’ category.