This is undoubtedly a fanfare year for the Sharjah International
Book Fair. It takes place during the UK-UAE Year of Culture,
part of which includes the special exhibition of a digital version
of the extremely rare Birmingham Qur’an (see page 9).
Meanwhile, if anyone doubted the emirate’s commitment
to books – and how could they when the Ruler His Highness
Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed al Qasimi, Member of the
Supreme Council of the UAE, puts such resources behind
the country’s publishing industry –official recognition came
with the announcement that Sharjah has been designated
UNESCO World Book Capital 2019.
As the first Gulf city to receive such an honor – given to
the best city program aimed at promoting books –it will surely
be a talking point in the halls at this year’s fair. Making the
announcement, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova said:
“I applaud the nomination of Sharjah as the World Book Capital
as well as the efforts undertaken by the city in order to make
reading available to as many people as possible, in particular
the marginalized as a motor for social inclusion, creativity and
Support for reading is a core belief in Sharjah and indeed
its slogan for its tenure as UNESCO World Book Capital will
be “Read – You are in Sharjah”. His Highness has long believed
that books and education are the key to personal development,
and his government’s policies have always championed the
publishing sector. Schoolchildren are given a day off to visit the
book fair and the sight of so many children pouring through the
halls (are the girls the noisiest? Discuss) is one of the fair’s most
familiar and anticipated sights.
His Highness believes that it is only through literature that
we learn to see the world through others’ eyes. The UAE’s
first school and library were established in Sharjah, and the
funding of libraries today is in marked contrast to other parts
of the world, notably the UK. Sharjah is a believer in literature
as soft diplomacy, in the power of books to heal division – and
if diplomacy on the international stage is about bringing
countries together, Sharjah performs admirably.
The fair’s famous “Rights Bazaar”, held in the Chamber
of Commerce every year, is a little like speed dating, with
international publishers booking short appointments with
Arabic publishers and making use of Sharjah’s generous
Translation Grants which provide $250,000 for translation
from Arabic to any language (or vice versa), and $50,000
from any language to a non-Arabic language. This grant
was established in 2011 and in 2016 the fair received 1200
applications.
Over the years the fair has built an impressive roster
of visiting authors, among them Arundhati Roy, William
Dalrymple, Jeffrey Archer, Cassandra Clare, Peter James,
Fatima Bhutto and Dan Brown, whose sell-out appearance in
2014 is still talked about. For some writers, it is their first time
in the Emirates – and the book fair can rest assured that these
authors return to their native countries spreading positive
words about the support books receive in this part of the world.
The 36th edition of the fair is also taking place in a year
coinciding with the official opening of Sharjah Publishing City,
the ambitious publishing free zone that has already attracted
international publishers wishing to take advantage of the zone’s
tax advantages, as well as the Emirate’s strategic location
bridging east and west (see pages 10 and 11).
Annually, the Sharjah International Book Fair Awards
precede the opening of the fair. These are considered the Arabic
Oscars and honor both Emirati writers and figures from the wider
world of books. In 2016, the Lebanese intellectual and academic,
Dr. Ghassan Salame, former Lebanese Minister of Culture, was
named Cultural Personality of the Year in recognition of his long
and distinguished career and invaluable contribution to the Arab
cultural scene.
Dr Salame said of His Highness: “You are the one who has
allowed Sharjah to become the lighthouse of culture between
east and west. You have attained the highest standards of
science, knowledge and culture. As a writer and scholar
yourself, you understand the needs of writers and because of
this, you have truly transformed Sharjah into a sustainable city
of culture. You have left the region’s youth with a long-standing
heritage of which they can be proud.” No one would challenge
those words.
Delegates who have been to the fair before will be familiar
with the 123-metre Sharjah Flagpole that can be seen from
the palm-lined waterfront Corniche. It is a well-known Sharjah
landmark, much loved by locals. This year it will undoubtedly
stand even taller, its colours even brighter – and with good
reason, in this most triumphant of years for the Emirate where
books come first.
SIBF 2017: An Introduction
by Roger Tagholm
