Galaxy of Emirati and Arab literary figures convene at 42nd SIBF

The world-renowned gathering, taking place from 1-12 November at the Sharjah Expo Centre, will showcase the rich literary and cultural heritage of the region through a series of 460 cultural activities, including literary seminars, panel discussions, and poetry evenings, where featured guests will share their journeys, views, and deliberate on key issues in the literary and art world.

Emirati guests
SIBF 2023 will host a great number of distinguished Emirati writers and intellectuals, including poet Khaled Al-Badour, a founding member of the Emirates Writers Union; Author Dr. Mashael Al Nabooda, who won the Best Emirati Novel Book award at SIBF 2022; Adel Khozam; Mohammed Al Jokar, recipient of the Arab Journalism Award; researcher Suad Al-Araimi; author Fathia Al Nimr; Dr. Aisha Al-Ghais; and author Saeed Al Badi, also a founding member of the Emirates Writers Union.

The event will host author Amira Boukadra, Vice-Chairman of the Emirates Publishers Association. Author and engineer Zayed Al Marzouki. Guests also include poet Mohammed Al Mehri, the international trainer and author Rashid Hassan Al Ali, in addition to the linguistic researcher Amna Al Hashemi, accompanied by Hasher Bin Dalmook, and the researcher and short story author Lulwah Al Mansouri.

Renowned Arabic literature and creative stars 
The exhibition's audience will also meet with prominent figures of Arabic literature and creatives, including the Lebanese poet Talal Haydar, the recipient of the award for the best poet in colloquial Arabic. The writer and novelist Ahlam Mosteghanemi, one of the most popular writers in the Arab world will be returning to SIBF this year, celebrating the 30th anniversary of her book ‘Memory in the Flesh,’ as well as discussing her new book ‘Now It's You,’ in which she recounts excerpts from her memories. Egyptian novelist and screenwriter Ahmed Mourad, one of the most popular young authors and the author of several best-selling works, including ‘Deer Hunting Season’ and ‘The Blue Elephant’, will also be returning for this year’s event.

Influential Arab personalities
SIBF 2023 will be graced by the presence of distinguished individuals from the world of Arab literature and culture. Among them is Kuwaiti author Dr. Mohamed Al Ghandour, renowned for his exceptional medical content on YouTube, which has garnered a following of 3 million on social media, in addition to having contributed to over 4,000 TV and radio episodes worldwide, along with Egyptian media personality Reham Ayad, recognized as one of the top 10 educational content creators on TikTok and the recipient of the ‘Washwasha Award’ for the best content creator in 2021.

The event will also host Kuwaiti novelist Bothayna Al Issa, who has not only produced several literary works but has also made noteworthy contributions to children's literature. Egyptian critic and novelist Tarek Imam, an accomplished author with 12 published books and a collection of 8 Egyptian, Arab, and international accolades to his name. Further enriching the lineup of distinguished personalities Egyptian poet and novelist Nour Abdel Meguid, known for her extensive literary output, some of which have even been adapted into television dramas, will grace the event, in addition to Tamer Said, Director of Sharjah Literary Agency.

Adding to the diversity of talents are writers Sarah and Hagar Abdul Rahman, experts in the fields of physiognomy and body language. Their book, ‘The World of Body Language,’ has been translated into English and published by Austin Macauley Publishers.

The 42nd annual edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) brings together 2,033 publishers and exhibitors from 108 nations, presenting an impressive array of 1.5 million titles. The book fair’s 12-day agenda includes over 1,700 activities led by 215 guests from 69 countries targeting all age groups and diverse interests. Furthermore, 127 Arab and international guests from 33 countries to steer 460 cultural activities, encompassing panel discussions, immersive workshops, and sessions spanning various artistic expressions and literary genres.