Sharjah Book Fair calls entries for Dh2 million literary awards

Sharjah: Applications are now being accepted for the famous Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) Awards, which will be presented in 2023.

The Sharjah Translation ‘Turjuman’ Award, The Sharjah Award for an Emirati Book, The Sharjah Award for the Best Arabic Novel, The Sharjah Award for the Best International Book, and The Sharjah Publisher Recognition Award are the five primary categories of the award, which has a value of more than Dh2 million.

SBA, the organization behind the annual award, has established a new category to recognize the work, opinions, and voices of first-time Emirati writers in an effort to honor and inspire them.

There will be nine other awards to recognize the remarkable contributions of authors, thinkers, and publishers as well as local writers and translators who are bringing fresh, high-quality viewpoints to the Arab intellectual, cultural, literary, and social environment.

Before August 31st, interested applicants must submit their entries on the book fair’s official website from the UAE, the Arab globe, and other countries.

The 42nd SIBF’s grand opening event, which takes place in November at Expo Centre Sharjah, is when winners will be announced.

The Sharjah Translation ‘Turjuman’ Award, now in its seventh year, will keep showcasing the accomplishments of gifted translators and publishers who are essential in bringing Arabic language works to non-Arab audiences all over the world. Of the Dh1.4m prize, Dh100,000 goes to the translator, and the remaining sum is split between the two publishers who release the translated work and the original Arabic piece.

New category for emerging local talent was announced by the Sharjah Award for an Emirati Book. The “Best Emirati Book for First-Time Authors” category, which has been added to the Dh300,000 award category to encourage and promote upcoming local authors, will receive Dh50,000 for an exceptional debut novel that showcases their literary talent and inventiveness.

The Best Emirati Novel Award, Best Emirati Creative Literature Book, and Best Emirati Academic Book are the other three sub-categories of this award. They were created to encourage local literary talents, authors, researchers, and publishers to keep enhancing the UAE library with exceptional and valuable work.

The Dh150,000 Sharjah Award for Best Arabic Novel honors first-person narratives that represent the sociocultural realities of the Arab world in novel form using novel subjects, novel methods, and novel perspectives.

The Sharjah Award for the Best International Book, which is divided into two subcategories of fiction and non-fiction and is valued at Dh50,000 each, recognizes the best English-language literary works of the year.

The winners of the Best Local Publisher, Best Arab Publisher, and Best International Publisher sub-categories get an equal share of the Dh75,000 Sharjah Publisher Recognition Award, which recognizes each winner’s achievements to developing the international industry.

Interested parties can visit the SIBF’s official website for more information regarding the terms and requirements for taking part in the Awards 2023.