Prominent Arab authors and writers to lead 200 cultural activities at SIBF 2022

Sharjah: A stellar group of award-winning Arab authors, intellectuals, poets and artists will be meeting their fans and followers, and headline a wide variety of events at the upcoming 41st annual Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), which will run its course in Expo Centre Sharjah from November 2-13, under the theme ‘Spread the Word’.

The distinguished guests will lead a packed cultural agenda of 200 activities featuring panel discussions, workshops and reading sessions to highlight their creative and personal journeys, as well as their knowledge and expertise in various literary and non-fiction genres.

Eminent Emirati writers, thinkers and poets participating in SIBF 2022 include author and poet Sultan Al Amimi, Chairman of the Emirates Writers Union; poet Khulood Al Mualla; poet and writer Ibrahim Al Hashemi, the writer Saeed Al Hanki, the historian Dr. Hamad bin Saray; author and poet Asma Al Hammadi, and poet Dr. Aisha Al Shamsi.

From the wider Arab region, SIBF 2022 is hosting Algerian novelist and award-winner Wasini Al A’raj; Libyan novelist Mohamed Alnaas, winner of the 2022 International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF); Mohamed Al-Ash’ari, poet, former Moroccan Minister of Culture and Communication, and winner of IPAF; and Libyan author Najwa Binshatwan.

From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), author Yousef Al Muhaimid, will grace the 12-day event, and will be accompanied by Dr. Nahed Bashtah, and Egyptian literary luminaries including poets Hisham Algakh and Ahmad Hassan, authors Ahmed Mourad, Youssef Rakha, Mohammed Sadek and Mohammed Tawfi, and screenwriter Hani Sarhan, in addition to Yemini author Saleh Al Baidani. SIBF Arab Author Guests

Algeria’s Boumediene Belkebir, Samir Kassimy and Rushdi Radwan have confirmed their participation too. Author Dr. Souad Al-Nasser from Morocco and authors Mohamed Issa Al Madeeb, Salah El Din Al-Hammadi, and Laila Al Obaidi from Tunisia will join their Algerian counterparts to represent North Africa on the prestigious SIBF platform. SIBF Arab Author Guests

Lovers of Arabic literature and culture will also have the opportunity to meet Jordanian author Dr. Maryam Jabr, Lebanese author Dr. Hanada Taha, and Kuwaiti authors Khaled Nasrallah, Mona Al Shamri, Abdulwahab Al Refai, and poet Mohammed Jarallah Al-Sahli. They will be joined by Omani authors Mahmoud Al Rahbi and Amna al Rabee, in addition to author Mona Al-Sharafi Tim.

Representing Iraq are writers Najem Wali, Ali Abdulamir Saleh and Ali Badr. They will be accompanied by popular Iraqi poet Ali Al-Shalah. SIBF 2022 will also witness the participation of Syrian author and translator Jan Dost, children’s literature author Rama Kanawati, and Fadi Azzam.