Bookworms across Emirates will want to mark November 1 through November 11 on their forward calendars, following the announcement that the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) is set to take its place at Expo Centre Sharjah for another year.
The 36th edition of the event, as with previous years, will bring together hundreds of authors and publishers from around the world, along with distinguished guests to participate in a comprehensive programme of activities that include conferences, reading sessions, panel discussions and lectures.
"Over the course of its three-and-a-half decades, SIBF has become established as the region’s premium platform for the very best in science, literature, art and culture," says Ahmed Al Ameri, Chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority, SBA.
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[ Ahmed Al Amri on the Sharjah International Book Fair's success ]
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"The fair was conceived by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, whose vision has led to a cultural renaissance that has enriched human knowledge, elevated intellect and created a solid foundation on which younger generations can build a better and brighter future."
He says that "since its inception 35 years ago, SIBF has been one of the main pillars for this cultural renaissance, with each edition building on the success of the previous one".
"SIBF has developed into the third largest book fair in the world and is an event that attracts thousands of publishers, authors and illustrators, as well as millions of visitors, from around the world," he adds.
As has been previously announced, the United Kingdom has been chosen as the SIBF ‘Country of Honour’.
To celebrate, a special programme showcasing some of Britain’s most honoured cultural and literary figures will be organised by the SBA in collaboration with the British Council.
"Our ongoing efforts to develop SIBF chime perfectly with Sharjah’s latest achievement, which is its selection as World Book Capital 2019 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. This title is an international recognition of Sharjah’s pivotal role in the field of culture, knowledge and literature and underscores the fact that the emirate has become the cultural beating heart of the region," the Chairman of SBA said.
The SIBF will be preceded by the seventh edition of the Professional Programme, which will take place on October 30-31 and which is expected to witness the participation of 250 global publishers and industry experts.
The Professional Programme will highlight the most recent developments taking place in the publishing sector and will organise one-on-one matching sessions to facilitate agreement-making between attendees.
SIBF 2017 will also see the fourth edition of the ALA Library Conference, which takes place from November 7-9 and which will feature a host of librarians from the region, the United States and other countries.
The conference offers an array of activities and sessions on a wide range of important topics for archivists working in university, public, school, government, and special libraries.
For more go towww.sibf.com/default.aspx
* Additional reporting The National Staff
