42nd edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair which boasts an impressive collection of 1.5 million titles commences on November 1

The 42nd Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) is expected to be the largest one ever, with over 2,000 publishing firms from 108 different nations showcasing an amazing 1.5 million volumes. A wide range of notable people will be present at this event beginning on November 1, with the main attractions being American astronaut Sunita Williams, Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka, well-known Algerian author Ahlam Mosteghanemi, and Indian actress Kareena Kapoor Khan.

SIBF 2023, which is being organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) and has as its subject "We Speak Books," will include 600 writers signing books from all over the world. This is a portion of a 12-day culturally rich, artistically engaging, and amusing programme that consists of over 1,700 events catered to all age groups and a wide range of interests and is hosted by 215 visitors from 69 different countries. At a news conference held at the SBA offices, the announcement was made.

South Korea is the SIBF's honorary guest this year. The festival will showcase the Republic's distinctive expertise and cultural environment in the areas of literature, art, technology, and culture.

Six Interactive Spaces

This year's festival has six interactive areas aimed towards different groups of people. There will be 900 sessions there, with fresh and interesting activities being given by around 31 visitors from 12 different countries. Additionally, the areas will include adult and child-focused motivating and cooperative courses on advanced subjects like sign language and helping people with impairments, as well as creative writing workshops.

Publisher's training

Additionally, SIBF 2023 will provide 120 publishers with a training curriculum focused on worldwide publishing standards and practises in association with New York University. 20 from the United Arab Emirates, 50 Arab, and 50 African publishers are included in this. The course this year will cover data methods for publisher success as well as the effectiveness of podcasts and narrative in boosting publishing earnings.

13th Publishers conference

The Publishers Conference is scheduled for October 29–31, a three-day period. On the first day, over 42 speakers and specialists will lead four keynote addresses and thirty-one roundtables on crucial problems and difficulties facing the publishing industry.

Sharjah publisher recognition award and ABC awards

The winners of the Sharjah Publisher Recognition Award will be revealed at the Publishers Conference. Fifty-eight applicants from 58 countries applied for the prize, comprising 42 literary agents and 16 publishers.

The Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) has selected the Publishers Conference as the venue for announcing the winners of the second edition of the ABC International Excellence Award for Accessible Publishing, to recognise publishers that create books for the blind,

Sharjah International Library Conference (SILC) 

November 7–9 is the date of the 10th Sharjah International Library Conference (SILC), which is organised in collaboration with the American Library Association (ALA). More than 400 international librarians and experts from various libraries in the US and over 30 other countries will be gathered for the event.

Thriller festival

In collaboration with Thriller Festival NY, the second edition of the Thriller Festival is scheduled for November 8–10. Renowned thriller and crime authors will come together for this three-day event. Felix Francis, Ivy Pochoda, and Candice Fox are among the 10 foreign authors that will be featured at this year's event.