India’s literary presence strong at SIBF 2025

Popular Indian authors captivate readers

Indian English authors Sudha Murthy, Chetan Bhagat, and Arundhati Roy were particularly popular across Indian stalls. Manohar from Manifest Distribution FZE highlighted Murthy’s children’s books as prime buys for many Indian families, while Bhagat’s One Arranged Murder and Robin Sharma’s The 5 AM Club also saw strong demand.

“Arundhati Roy’s memoir Mother Mary Comes to Me is such a bestseller that it has gone out of stock,” said Aghila, coordinator at a DC Books stall, which hosts one of the largest collections of international books, including separate stalls for Indian readers in English and Malayalam.

Discounts and weekend rush

Discounts ranging from 10–40% attracted many casual visitors. DC Books offered 15% off for teachers and 10% for children and general visitors. “We get more sales on weekends when adults and families visit more,” said Sheena Sunil Kumar at Kerala Sashtrasahitya Parishad.

Writer’s forum and book releases

A highlight of Hall 7, dedicated to Indian language books, is the Writer’s Forum, which hosts over 200 book releases during the fair. “Each book release gets 25 minutes, and there are about 25 releases a day,” said Hameed M., in charge of the programme.

Most releases are Malayalam language books, reflecting the large Kerala demographic in the UAE. Notable releases include autobiographies by former Kerala Minister EP Jayarajan (Ethaanente Jeevitham) and actor Krishnaprasad (Karshakanadan). Journalist Sreejesh S. Nair also paid tribute to SIBF with his book Aksharakadalile Veliyettam.

Tamil literary presence

Tamil stalls also had a visible presence. P. Karthikeyan of Sixth Sense Publications, attending for the fifth consecutive year, showcased books from 30 publishers. From Tamil classics to translations of international works, his stall drew consistent interest. V. Manoharan of Discovery Book Palace also displayed a large collection catering to Tamil-speaking readers.

Community and camaraderie

Beyond books, the Indian community is drawn to SIBF 2025 to connect and meet like-minded readers. Hall 7 exemplifies the fair’s role as a cultural and social binding force for expats.

About SIBF 2025

Sharjah International Book Fair 2025 is a 12-day event organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) under the theme ‘Between You and a Book’.