Sharjah: Sharjah will be the guest of honour at the New Delhi Book Fair 2019.

According to a statement issued by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), Sharjah has been chosen the guest country due to its pioneering efforts in the promotion of literature, arts in all its forms, intercultural appreciation, reading and knowledge sharing in the region.

In a latest move, the New Delhi Book Fair management has announced that they will be welcoming Sharjah as the Guest of Honour in the 2019 edition of the fair. The New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) will be a great platform for Sharjah to showcase its literary and cultural assets, network with leading publishers, best-selling international authors and tap into potential business opportunities in the world’s seventh largest economy. Each year, NDWBF offers a platform for professionals in the book industry to explore the promising prospects of the publishing market in India and neighbouring countries.

Sharjah will be fulfilling a similar role at the São Paulo International Book Fair this year, will be received as a Special Guest City at the Paris Book Fair 2018, and will be the Guest of Honour once again in 2020 at the 57th Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

The emirate’s calendar for literary and cultural engagements will be packed next year, as it will be rolling out a series of events and activities throughout 2019 in celebration of the one of the world’s greatest literary honours it received from Unesco by becoming the first GCC nation to be crowned ‘World Book Capital’.

Sharjah today is viewed as a cultural and literary hub of the region, and has been able to build itself the reputation of a cultural capital due to the vision and long-standing efforts of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council Ruler of Sharjah.