The meeting brought together Jeanne Barseghian, Mayor of Strasbourg, along with representatives of past, present and future World Book Cities. Sharjah’s participation in the meeting aligned with the emirate’s role in supporting the WBCN and contributing to the enhancement of the reading culture globally, driven by its remarkable experience in turning the Sharjah World Book Capital 2019 title into a year-round sustainable and comprehensive cultural project.
The meeting is the final step that precedes wrapping up the title celebration in Strasbourg, as Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is announced the 2025 World Book Capital, while Ribat, Morocco, is gearing us to receive the 2026 title, making it the first Moroccan city to get this global honor.
Marwa Al Aqroubi, Director or Project lead of the Sharjah World Book Capital 2019 and Executive Director of House of Wisdom, affirmed that Sharjah views its membership in the World Book Capital Network as both a cultural duty and a moral commitment. She noted that the emirate actively supports fellow cities by sharing the wealth of experience gained during its World Book Capital year—an ambitious programme that championed cultural diversity, encouraged knowledge sharing, and positioned books as catalysts for community growth. “When Sharjah was named World Book Capital in 2019, we made a promise—to transform this title from a celebratory moment into a lasting evolution in our cultural landscape,” she said. “Six years on, the initiatives we launched then continue to flourish, expanding across borders and introducing global audiences to Sharjah’s enduring cultural vision.”
Shar added: “Taking part in the WBCN enabled us to gain insights into the experiences of other cities, engage in the global challenges, exchange expertise and offer practice-driven solutions, The WBCN meetings offered a platform to exchange ideas on the role of reading in enabling communities in light of the fast-paced social and technological development. In line with our firm belief that books serve not only to knowledge, but also as a cross-cultural communication tool, we continue our commitment to supporting cities that prepare to get designated this title and working closely with UNESCO and our partners to turn reading into a daily habit and lifestyle.”
The attendees discussed the new activities organised by the cities that were selected as World Book capital. Mawra Al Aqroubi focused on festivities like the Sharjah Libraries Centennial, Sharjah Literature Festival, Sharjah Festival of African Literature, among others. The participants explored ways to support and encourage other cities to present their nominations, as well as helping them with the forms. They discussed projects worthy of support, in light of Sharjah’s participation in the partnership and support committee dedicated to World Book capital projects.
The WBCN is one of the most important cultural initiatives launched by UNESCO to support cities that were designated the prestigious title, enable knowledge and expertise exchange, and collaborate in quality programs that elevate the value of reading locally and regionally. The network offers a platform for dialogue between cities and documents successful experiences, paving the way to a global cultural environment that recognises the value of books as an essential pillar of development, innovation.
In 2022, Sharjah hosted the inaugural WBCN meeting at House of Wisdom, bringing together representatives of 16 cities that were designated the titles. The culturally rich gathering marked the beginning of long-term collaboration between world book capitals. The meeting was a pivotal moment in the network’s history, as it enabled the participants to explore more flexible and effective working mechanisms while sharing the best practices in promoting reading and publishing. The meeting also saw a series of recommendations that contributed to shaping a clearer corporate framework for the network.
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