Sharjah International Book Fair 2024

Sharjah International Book Fair is one of the world’s largest book fairs, held at the Sharjah Expo Centre, in Sharjah, UAE, every year. The eleven day fair has over 400 literary events, including daily writing workshops, poetry readings and book signings. The stalls prominently feature local favourites, including several Arabic books on Sharjah, Arab culture and Arabic art. The Sharjah book fair is a huge attraction for literature buffs. 
There is something for everyone at the SIBF, including food and snacks and live cookery stations to give visitors insights into the taste and making of Arabic food. Many parents opt to bring their children to the Expo centre to shop for story books during the book festival, a fun and educational activity for all family members, as there is a vast programme dedicated to children as well!
This year's edition is from 6th to 17th November. The great news is that Morocco is the Guest of Honour of this year, celebrating Moroccan profound literary heritage and cultural influence. The Moroccan pavilion will feature an exciting programme including documentary screenings, panel discussions, artistic workshops and musical performances. It will also showcase publications, historical documents, and the works of distinguished authors, offering a unique insight into the country’s rich history, civilisation, and arts. Visitors will engage with prominent Moroccan intellectuals and literary figures, deepening connections between the two nations and promoting cultural dialogue. Through this collaboration, SIBF aims to highlight Morocco’s intellectual and artistic achievements, while enhancing global cultural exchange.
The whole event is totally free.
For more information about the fair and the full programme of this year, please, visit the Sharjah International Book Fair's website.

Sources: https://sibf.com/en/home
https://www.visitsharjah.com/events/sharjah-international-book-fair/

Dublin Book Festival 2024

Dublin Book Festival is one of Ireland's most vibrant book festivals, with over 80 events across 5 days around Dublin City, showcasing and celebrating Ireland's writers in a festive and welcoming environment.
Don’t miss the festival from 6^th to 10^th November 2024!
The festival is a dynamic platform for established and emerging voices in Irish literature. Events, many free, include authors in conversation, panel discussions, book launches and special celebrations, poetry, literary walking tours, professional development events and workshops, a full free weekend of family and children's events, and a schools' programme. Genres explored range from contemporary fiction, poetry, non-fiction and history to science, nature, children's literature, art, storytelling, short fiction, spoken word and more.
The Dublin Book Festival is one of Ireland’s most successful and dynamic book festivals, running since June 2006 in the heart of Ireland’s capital with its rich literary history.
A festival hub is set up in their primary venue, which in 2024 will once again be The Printworks at Dublin Castle, where authors, publishers and audiences mingle over the weekend. The Festival Hub is a space where audiences gather to lounge on beanbags and read, browse the bookshop, enjoy the café and meet authors at book signings. Visitors can immerse themselves in a world of readings, exciting and stimulating panel discussions, storytelling, and creative events for all the family to enjoy.
For all the information and to read the full programme, please visit Dublin Book Festival’s website!

Sources: https://dublinbookfestival.com/
https://www.visitdublin.com/dublin-book-festival-2024

Malta Book Festival 2024

The 45th edition of the Malta Book Festival will be taking place from 6th to 10th November at the Malta Fair & Conventions Centre (MFCC) in Ta' Qali.

This year’s edition of the festival carries the theme #bindingworlds, reflecting the multifaceted nature of the publishing process, from the inception of an idea to the final product. Through this play on words, the Festival underscores its commitment to showcasing all aspects of the literary world, from writing and illustration to printing and binding. The programme of events will range from shows and activities for the family and students, to book launches and discussions, writing workshops, performative readings, and professional meet-ups between the public and book industry stakeholders.

As a staple event of Malta’s cultural calendar, the Malta Book Festival also prides itself in placing an emphasis on sustainability and environmental awareness.
Inclusivity is also a key element of the Malta Book Festival, and the NBC is proud to once again make available the use of the Sensory Friendly Room — a quiet, inclusive space for children on the autism spectrum to enjoy storytelling in a calm environment, managed by Inspire Malta and supported by APS Bank.

Attendance to the Festival and to all other events is free of charge.

For more information and the complete programme of events of this year's edition, please, visit the Malta Book Festival's website.

Sources: https://ktieb.org.mt/en/malta-book-festival/
https://timesofmalta.com/article/all-need-know-2024-malta-book-festival-a2.1100338

Italy guest of honour at Taipei International Book Exhibition 2025

We are glad and proud to announce that Italy will be the guest of honour of the next edition of Taipei International Book Exhibition which will be held from 4th to 9th February 2025 at Taipei World Trade Center!

Italian institutions have accepted the TIBE's invitation and together with AIE (Italian association of publishers) will set up a collective exhibition stand and a programme of literary and professional events attended by authors and lecturers from Italy.

The 2025 Taipei International Book Exhibition is already collecting registrations for the Rights Center of next year to offer publishers a more open and spacious environment, allowing for even more productive meetings while maintaining the same high level of service you have come to expect. In addition, they will host a professional networking event, bringing together international and domestic professionals to foster meaningful interactions and connections.

Please, visit the Taipei International Book Exhibition's website to secure your table at the Rights Center and for all the information about the events.

International Istanbul Book Fair 2024

This year, the Istanbul Book Fair, which has been organized since 1982 by TÜYAP Fairs and Exhibitions Organization Inc. in cooperation with the Turkish Publishers Association, will be held from November 2nd to 10^th. The fair has brought together nearly half a million book lovers with the fair participants every year. The fair started the practice of 'Honorary Writing', which has become a deep-rooted tradition. It is aimed to honor the contribution of an author determined by the Tüyap Cultural Fairs Advisory Board to the Turkish literature and cultural world every year. The honorary author of the International Istanbul Book Fair of this 41st edition has been determined as Yalvaç Ural.
 
Various events, interviews, signing days and exhibitions are held throughout the fair for the designated honored author. The honorary author, who reaches a wide readership, is also a source of inspiration for young writers.

Visitors will also be able to find the latest books on the fairgrounds! An excellent opportunity awaits the public to stay up-to-date in the literary world and replenish their book collection by discovering new authors and publications.

Book fairs host special events where authors meet with their readers and organize book signings. In 2023, book lovers met with writers and poets at more than 400 cultural events and more than 5000 signing days. Don't miss the opportunity to get in touch with your favorite authors and learn more about their work!

Various events are waiting for you to benefit from the knowledge of the leading writers and poets of the literary world. For nine days, you can have a unique experience with cultural events such as poetry recitals, interviews and panels, and you can closely follow the developments in the literary world. You can have a pleasant time with activities such as workshops and theater performances, and you can have fun experiences as well as shopping for books.

Around a thousand Turkish and foreign publishers and nongovernmental foundations are expected to take part in the organization, with a host of events, workshops for children, lectures by authors and scores of autograph sessions.

For more information and to get your ticket, please visit the International Istanbul Book fair’s website.

Sources: https://istanbulkitapfuari.com/en/why-you-should-visit
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/istanbul-book-fair-set-to-kick-off-202139

IBA at the Salone del Libro 2024 in Turin

Like every year, IBA attended the Rights centre at the Salone del Libro in Turin, Italy, from 9^th to 11^th May.

The Salone is one of the most significant book fairs in Italy and it involves professionals working in the fascinating field of publishing from all over the world, but also readers and culture lovers.

As usual, IBA attended the Rights center of the fair, representing some of the most creative Italian publishing houses (CSA Editrice, Planet Book, Aporema Edizioni, Armando Curcio Editore…) and presenting their books to foreign publishing houses and editors.

IBA had meetings with about 25 publishing houses and literary agencies from all over the world (mainly from Iran, Germany and Switzerland) to whom it could present their titles. It was a profitable opportunity to know more about the interesting books proposed by other publishing houses as well.

As always, the authors that aroused the foreign publishers’ interest the most were Elena Mora, Mere Oie Kalle, Philip Osbourne, Alessandra Cinardi and Giulia Falcini, but also our detective stories writer, Cristiano De Sciciolo with his Commissario Maselli investigations, just to cite a few names.

We hope these new meetings will lead to successful exchanges in the near future.

Happy World Book and Copyright Day!

World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year, on 23 April, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the scope of books - a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures. On this occasion, UNESCO and the international organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry - publishers, booksellers and libraries, select the World Book Capital for a year to maintain, through its own initiatives, the impetus of the Day’s celebrations. 

23 April is a symbolic date in world literature. It is the date on which several prominent authors, William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. This date was a natural choice for UNESCO's General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone to access books.

Source: UNESCO

Cairo International Book Fair 2024

The Cairo International Book Fair stands as a major cultural event in the Middle East. Since its inception in 2006, it has consistently held the position of the world’s second-largest book fair, only eclipsed by Frankfurt’s esteemed counterpart. Each year, it draws roughly 2 million visitors, making it a significant literary event.

This book fair began in 1969, coinciding with Cairo’s millennium celebration. The Minister of Culture at the time, Tharwat Okasha, had the vision to create a grand cultural event. He entrusted Suhair Al-Qalamawi, a notable writer and researcher, with organizing the first Cairo International Book Fair. In honor of Al-Qalamawi’s crucial role, the 2008 fair recognized her as the Person of the Year.

Over time, the fair has evolved. Traditionally held during the mid-year school break, it used to conclude at the end of January at Nasr City’s Exhibition Grounds. However, by 2019, the event transitioned to the Egypt International Exhibition Center, situated in the burgeoning New Cairo. The fair now runs for 12 days, attracting publishers from the Arab world and beyond.

A key highlight of the Cairo International Book Fair is its diverse offerings. Beyond the vast selection of books, the fair includes cultural seminars, cinema screenings, theater performances, art exhibitions, and music concerts. This variety ensures the fair appeals to a wide range of interests and artistic tastes.

The fair’s influence goes beyond literature. It fosters cultural exchange and ignites intellectual dialogues. It offers a platform for diverse writers, publishers, and artists. With its rich heritage, the Cairo International Book Fair remains a key center for Middle Eastern literature and culture.

The fair takes place at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre in New Cairo, from January 25 to February 6. Operating hours are from 10 am to 8 pm daily, extending to 9 pm on Thursdays and Fridays. Tickets are priced at EGP 5, and available on the fair’s official website and at the door. The fair encompasses five halls over 80,000 square meters, hosting 1,200 publishing houses from 70 countries and 5,250 exhibitors. This year’s guest country is Norway, with Egyptologist Salim Hassan and children’s book novelist Yaqub Sharuni honored as Persons of the Year. The program features 500 events.

Please, visit the Cairo International Book Fair's official website for all the details and to get your tickets.

Source: Riyadh Review of books