SIBF 2021: a catalyst for the growth and recovery of global publishing

The 40^th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) is being held from November 3-13, 2021 at Expo Centre Sharjah, having 1,566 publishers from 83 countries. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), SIBF 2021 has 85 writers and intellectuals who lead the fair’s 970 events and activities under the theme ‘There’s always a right book’, inspired by SBA’s international campaign ‘Into Books’. 

Ahmed Al Ameri, Chairman, Sharjah Book Authority, said, “The 40^th edition of SIBF is a remarkable cultural milestone for Sharjah and the UAE, through which we want to continue driving our efforts to promote the growth and post-pandemic recovery of the global publishing industry. SIBF 2021 will serve as a catalyst for new readers and a key player in transforming the industry to meet their needs. At the same time, the book fair will offer a platform for authors and researchers to broaden their areas of interest.”

Major attractions…
Tanzanian novelist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2021, Abdulrazak Gurnah at SIBF. Spain is celebrated as Guest of Honour country with 41 Spanish participants offering 25 events, SIBF Smart App, National Libraries Summit, renowned authors and cultural personalities from around the world. A vibrant children’s programme and school visits are also back. Powered by theatre, dance performances, social media station, cookery corner, etc – every SIBF 2021 visitor finds a book to fuel their interests and passions.

The opening ceremony…
Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah spoke about the work on volumes of dictionary of classical Arabic which has been worked on by Arabic language experts who were also present.  The first volume is published and also available online  www.almojam.org

11^th Publishers Conference in partnership with International Publishers Association (31 October – 2 November 2021)
Celebrating the 125th anniversary, Bodour Al Qasimi, President of the International Publishers Association and Publisher, Kalimat group, said, “In the International Publishers Association, we seek to consolidate cooperation and solidarity between all stakeholders, and to strengthen the ties and relations that bring them together, and this is what prompted the Federation to work with partners to launch the International Sustainable Publishing and Industry Resilience (INSPIRE) initiative.”

She further added one needs to collectively come together and collaborate on the 10 objectives of (Inspire) to find solutions, emerge stronger and strengthen solidarity between all the links. The three-day conference hosted 8 panel discussions on key issues and challenges facing the publishing sector in the region and around the world. Participating publishers will get the opportunity to apply for the US$300,000 SIBF Translation Grant. The ‘Matchmaking’ sessions were held on all three days of the conference for publishers and industry professionals to discuss buying and selling of rights and strike new deals, especially in the Arab market.

BolognaBookPlus 2022 presentation at Sharjah Book Authority