A total of 2,673 Arab and foreign publishing houses are participating in the fair, showcasing their publications in various languages across fields of literature, thought, science, knowledge, children's books, and other disciplines.
This year, the fair presents 1,500 cultural, creative, and artistic events, ranging from panel discussions and literary meetings to workshops, interactive events, theatrical performances, and art shows, alongside programs dedicated to children, families, and those interested in writing and the arts.
The cultural program hosts 106 guests from 25 countries, discussing topics ranging from literature, novels, poetry, and criticism to history, science, technology, social issues, and contemporary culture.
The fair's cultural program features a number of prominent Arab writers, thinkers, and artists, including critic Dr. Said Yaktine, director Rafik Ali Ahmad, novelist Najwa Barakat, novelist Amir Tag Elsir, novelist Saud Alsanousi, writer Zoulfa Katouh, and writer Ali Abu Al-Rish.
The fair offers a diverse program of workshops for children and adults, including two specialized courses. The first, by German novelist Daniela Tole, covers developing narrative voice, character building, dialogue writing, editing, and the stages of reaching publication. Meanwhile, Egyptian artist and writer Khaled El Nabawy presents a course titled "Acting Studio: From Training to the Stage," focusing on performance techniques, character building, and improvisation.
This year, the fair features three main theatrical performances, starting with the musical play "When Memories Sing," which revives childhood songs and sounds associated with the memories of generations of the audience.
Abdullah Anan presents the interactive family show "Impossible or Science?!", which combines optical illusions with scientific experiments, inviting children and families to participate, vote, and discover the scientific explanations for the phenomena they see on stage. The outdoor stage at Expo Centre Sharjah will also host the play "Waterland," featuring artists including Hussain Almahdi, Shaila Sabt, Ghoroor Safar, and Mohammed Al-Musallam.
The fair hosts the fifth edition of the "Thriller Festival" from November 7-10, with the participation of more than 12 experts among the most prominent authors of crime, mystery, and thriller literature, as well as literary agents and screenwriters.
The festival allows the public to meet a group of the most prominent international names in this field, including British novelist Clare Mackintosh, American writer Karin Slaughter, and British writer and journalist Elizabeth Moore.
The Sultanate of Oman is the guest of honor at the 45th edition of the fair, with the participation of 41 writers and intellectuals, including Zahran Al Qasmi, Dr. Mohammed Al-Yahyai, Hassan Al-Matroushi, Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Omairi, Dr. Mahmoud bin Mohammed Al-Rahbi, and Ahmed bin Nasser Al-Rashdi.
The professional events accompanying the fair kick off with the Publishers Training Course, held on October 31 in cooperation with New York University, with the participation of more than 200 publishers from 17 countries, aiming to develop publishers' capabilities and enhance their knowledge of the shifts in the book industry markets.
The course covers a range of professional topics, most notably global developments in the audiobook market, video marketing strategies and social media platforms, international translation rights markets, and the exchange of content and cultural assets between markets.
The 16th edition of the Publishers Conference will be held from November 1-3, with the participation of publishers and industry specialists. This year, the conference focuses on the theme "Publishing in an Accelerated Era," through more than 30 sessions and workshops discussing the shifts facing the global publishing sector, primarily the employment of artificial intelligence, the evolution of the audiobook market, copyright trading, children's book publishing, and developing the presence of comics in the book industry.
The Sharjah International Library Conference begins from November 7-9, with the participation of more than 400 librarians and specialists working in academic, public, school, government, and private libraries.
The conference discusses a range of topics related to developing library services and their educational and social roles, most notably guided reading and self-reading using the "Destiny Discover" platform, the contribution of partnerships, public policies, and community leadership in building stronger communities, alongside developing school libraries by enhancing students' leadership roles.
