The 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) will take place from November 4 to 15 at Expo Centre Sharjah, bringing together 2,673 publishers and exhibitors from 124 countries for a programme spanning literature, publishing, the arts and creative learning. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) under the theme ‘Made of Stories’, the 12-day event will welcome Oman as Guest of Honour.
With 106 writers, artists and intellectuals from 25 countries, this year’s edition will feature 1,500 cultural, creative and artistic events. Literary discussions, poetry evenings and author encounters will run alongside workshops, theatrical productions and interactive experiences for children and families, offering visitors opportunities to engage with both books and the creative practices behind them.
Oman’s Guest of Honour programme will introduce audiences to the country’s literary traditions and contemporary cultural scene through a delegation of 50 participants, including 41 writers and poets. Its programme comprises 15 cultural sessions, six children’s workshops and 20 artistic performances, with daily musical and traditional folk performances complemented by activities exploring Omani cuisine.
Participating Omani authors include novelist Zahran Al Qasmi, Mohammed Al Yahyai, poet Hassan Al Matrooshi, Abdulaziz Al Omairi, Mahmoud bin Mohammed Al Rahbi, and writer and storyteller Ahmed bin Nasser Al Rashdi. Their contributions will explore the country’s history and heritage, alongside developments in its literature, poetry and arts.
The wider literary programme will feature voices from across the Arab world, including Kuwaiti novelist Saud Alsanousi, Lebanese novelist and journalist Najwa Barakat, Sudanese novelist Amir Tag Elsir, Moroccan academic Said Yaktine and Syrian-Canadian author Zoulfa Katouh. Emirati participants include Sultan Al Ameemi, Ali Abu Al Reesh, Shihab Ghanem, Fathiya Al Nimr, Dubai Abulhoul, Aisha Sultan and Nasser Al Dhaheri.
International guests will include writer, artist and translator Daisy Rockwell; novelist and journalist John Vaillant; Chinese novelist and screenwriter Liu Zhenyun; Filipino historian Ambeth R. Ocampo; Nigerian author Nnedi Okorafor; and British novelist Clare Mackintosh. The programme will also welcome Singaporean poet Natalie Wang, German novelist Daniela Tully and South African actress and producer Salamina Mosese.
Crime and suspense fiction will have a dedicated platform at the fifth Thriller Festival, taking place from November 7 to 10 in collaboration with Capital Crime London and Thriller Festival New York. More than 12 specialists, including novelists, literary agents and screenwriters, will participate. Featured authors include Clare Mackintosh, Karen Dionne, Elizabeth Moore, Vaseem Khan, Abir Mukherjee and David Fennell, alongside Arab writers including Noha Dawoud, Ibrahim Al Marzouqi, Adel Al Sumaiti, Mohammed Ali Al Hammadi, Alia Nasser Al Zaabi and Islam Abu Shukair.
New attractions will invite visitors to take an active role in storytelling and discovery. At Poets’ Corner, personal stories will be reimagined as poems in Arabic and English. Future Hands District, an interactive educational space for children, will introduce young visitors to different professions through practical activities.
For visitors seeking to develop their own creative work, Daniela Tully will lead a specialised writing course covering narrative voice, character development, dialogue, editing and the publishing process. Egyptian actor and writer Khaled El Sawy will present ‘Acting Studio: From Training to the Stage’, focusing on performance techniques, character building and improvisation.
The stage programme will feature three main productions requiring advance booking. On November 7, the exclusive premiere of ‘When Memories Sing’ will revisit childhood songs and familiar voices across generations. Abdullah Annan’s interactive family show ‘Impossible or Science?!’ will follow on November 8, combining optical illusions with scientific experiments and inviting audiences to participate, vote and explore the explanations behind what they see. ‘Waterland’ will be staged outdoors at Expo Centre Sharjah on November 14 and 15.
Food and culinary traditions will also feature through live demonstrations at the Cookery Corner. Participating chefs include Mohammad Orfali, Salam Daqqaq, Jad Youssef, Kausar Raja, Marina Georgallides, Romy Gill and Monisha Bharadwaj, alongside Omani chefs Sulaiman Al Kindi and Samira Al Aghbariya. Sessions will introduce visitors to ingredients, techniques and dishes from a range of culinary cultures.
The fair’s professional programme will begin ahead of its public opening. A training programme organised in collaboration with New York University on October 31 will bring together more than 200 publishers from 17 countries. The 16th Publishers Conference will follow from November 1 to 3, welcoming more than 1,200 publishers and literary agents from 124 countries.