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This Year’s Sharjah International Book Fair Witnessed a Larger Audience Due to the Easing of Covid-19 Restrictions

At the 41st Sharjah International Book Fair, which ended today (Nov. 13), attendees, publishers, visitors, and writers of different backgrounds celebrated culture, literature, and the arts.
on Nov 14, 2022

At the 41st Sharjah International Book Fair, which ended today (Nov. 13), attendees, publishers, visitors, and writers of different backgrounds celebrated culture, literature, and the arts.

The largest gathering in the area this year had a higher attendance than in prior years, and the easing of the pandemic's effects and the removal of its limitations significantly contributed to the event's appeal.

The crowds of book lovers were enormous from the first day due to the restrictions such as wearing a mask, keeping a safe distance, and necessary PCR tests or vaccination certificates not applicable at the event. To commemorate the written word, people from different emirates, nations, backgrounds, and ages gathered at the event.

Visitors and publishers who spoke with Khaleej Times said they were celebrating the love of culture without the limitations that had made many people choose not to come in past years.

The Sharjah Book Authority invited Sudanese journalist Nahla Magzoub to attend the events as a part of the celebration of culture.

This year, she remarked, "I loved the freedom of roaming about the fair halls and attending sessions, events, and activities organized on the fringes of the important cultural festival without wearing masks and fearing crowds, and I could shake hands with friends I met there."

Over 1,000 publishing companies had taken part in the event as it drew to a close, and over 150 dignitaries from the Arab world, Africa, and other parts of the world had attended.

Additionally, Italy's presence as the event's special guest brought the liveliness of that nation's rich intellectual and artistic culture to the occasion and a sense of "dolce vita" to the Emirates.

Children may have made up the majority of those attending the event; they arrived early on weekday mornings on field trips with their teachers and on holidays with their families to enjoy comics, novels, and a variety of activities, including puppetry, cooking, and visiting their favorite authors.

At the SIBF, guests from different regions of the world also enjoyed themselves. The 41st SIBF edition, according to Yousif Mustaf of the Sharjah Culture Department, more than lived up to the event's international renown.

"In every sense, it was a worldwide forum. The literary festival is a valuable opportunity for readers, writers, publishers, and knowledge creators, and the removal of the Covid restrictions was the cherry on top "stated Mustaf.

The show, he said, "hit the height of its giving and its collection of information, culture, and literature" this year.

"It holds a prominent place in Arab and worldwide cultural circles as an annual cultural event that highlights a passionate interest in literature. I was overjoyed to see the masses moving freely and with a sense of safety throughout the hallways."

Asif Khan, a visitor from Pakistan, claimed that His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who has always supported knowledge and culture, was responsible for Sharjah's emergence as a hub for the knowledge economy.

A worthy tribute to the emirate and its ruler, Khan said, "The fact that Sharjah is a capital of culture and books today is nothing but the culmination of an era of continuous work to serve Arab culture."