Sharjah to host the 40th edition of the Sharjah International Book fair

By: Jivisha Aggarwal, Pawzfeed editor, The Pawprint

This year sees the 40th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair, the largest book fair in the world. Initially launched in 1982 the fair has been held for 11 days annually since. 

This year the theme for the event is “There is always a right book” and it is being held from the 3rd to the 13th of November at the Sharjah Expo Centre. 

Having personally visited the fair I can say for sure that it is one of the most well organized book fairs so far. This year sees 85 books with authors from all over the world coming to speak and sign their books. 

One would imagine such an event would require an entry fee of some sort but it is completely free and only requires you to register beforehand to keep track of numbers. “Those of us who enjoy reading in the emirate of Sharjah are very keen to create a reading community and promote the benefits of reading among children. For that reason we provide the best, most suitable books for all the family. We believe that books must be available to all and from this concept we turn book fairs into an oasis of knowledge and enlightenment.”- His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi

Once inside you will see various stands where you can purchase books cheaper than you would be able to outside. You will also be able to purchase the books being launched at the event. 

I attended the launch of “400 Days” by Chetan Bhagat, a well known Indian author where he shared his experience in the industry and how he decides when an idea can become a full fledged novel. It was a casual atmosphere with a question and answer session along with a book signing at the end.