Sharjah Book Fair 2026 introduces poetry corner and children’s career city

The Sharjah Book Authority announced new attractions for the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair during a press conference at its headquarters on Tuesday, 13 October 2026.

New interactive attractions at the fair

Visitors will be able to turn personal stories into poems in Arabic and English at the ‘Poets’ Corner’ installation. Children can explore different professions through hands‑on activities in the ‘Future Hands District’, an educational space designed as an interactive city.

The fair will run from 4 to 15 November at Expo Centre Sharjah under the theme ‘Made of Stories’. It will host 2,673 publishers and exhibitors from 124 countries, including 1,151 Arab and 1,122 international participants. A total of 106 writers, artists and intellectuals from 25 countries will take part in a programme featuring 1,500 cultural and artistic events.

Additional offerings include workshops, theatrical productions, family shows, literary discussions, poetry evenings and various cultural activities. Three productions requiring advance booking will be staged: the musical ‘When Memories Sing’ premieres on 7 November; on 8 November Abdullah Annan presents the interactive family show ‘Impossible or Science?!’; and the outdoor stage will host ‘Waterland’ on 14 and 15 November.

Oman as Guest of Honour

Oman is the Guest of Honour, sending 50 participants, of whom 41 are writers and poets. The Omani programme will comprise 15 cultural sessions, six children’s workshops and 20 artistic performances, with daily musical and traditional folk shows. Visitors will also experience Omani cuisine through dedicated activities and cookery sessions.

Ahmed bin Saud bin Nasser Al Rawahi, Assistant Director General for Knowledge and Cultural Development at Oman’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and Director of the Muscat International Book Fair, said the participation celebrates the longstanding relationship between Oman and the UAE. He added: “We see this celebration as a tribute to Oman and its culture, and an opportunity to strengthen the longstanding ties between our countries and peoples. Oman’s selection as Guest of Honour builds on a shared history and close relations rooted in brotherhood and neighbourliness.”

He further noted that the programme would allow visitors to engage with Oman’s cultural traditions while encouraging exchange between the two communities, introducing Oman’s history, heritage and cultural achievements and promoting dialogue.

Participating Omani writers and poets include novelist Zahran Al Qasmi, Dr Mohammed Al Yahyai, poet Hassan Al Matrooshi, Dr Abdulaziz Al Omairi, Dr Mahmoud bin Mohammed Al Rahbi, and writer and storyteller Ahmed bin Nasser Al Rashdi.

Thriller Festival and other programme highlights

From 7 to 10 November the fair will host the fifth edition of its Thriller Festival, organised in collaboration with Capital Crime London and Thriller Festival New York. More than 12 specialists, including crime, mystery and thriller writers, literary agents and screenwriters, will take part.

Featured international guests are British novelist and former police officer Clare Mackintosh; American author Karen Dionne, whose novel The Marsh King’s Daughter was adapted for film; and British writer and journalist Elizabeth Moore, known for the psychological thriller The Man on the Middle Floor. They will be joined by Vaseem Khan, author of the Baby Ganesh Agency and Malabar House series; British novelist Abir Mukherjee, known for the Wyndham & Banerjee detective series; and British writer David Fennell, whose crime fiction includes the Sleeper and Grace Archer series.

Arab participants in the festival are Egyptian novelist Noha Dawoud, Emirati writer and director Ibrahim Al Marzouqi, Emirati authors Adel Al Sumaiti and Mohammed Ali Al Hammadi, Emirati writer Alia Nasser Al Zaabi, and Syrian novelist and journalist Islam Abu Shukair.

The fair will also showcase a broad range of publishing activity, with 2,673 publishers presenting titles across literature, science, children’s books and other fields. Its 1,500 events will cover panel discussions, literary talks, workshops, theatrical performances and interactive activities for children and adults.

Emirati participants taking part in various sessions include Dr Sultan Al Ameemi, Ali Abu Al Reesh, Dr Habib Ghanem, Dr Shihab Ghanem, Dr Ahmed Al Khoori, Fathiya Al Nimr, Dubai Abulhoul, Aisha Sultan and Nasser Al Dhaheri.

Other Arab guests are Moroccan academic and researcher Dr Said Yaktine, Lebanese actor, writer and director Rafiq Ali Ahmad, Lebanese novelist and journalist Najwa Barakat, Sudanese novelist Dr Amir Tag Elsir, Kuwaiti novelist Saud Alsanousi and Syrian‑Canadian author Zoulfa Katouh.

International contributors comprise American writer, artist and translator Daisy Rockwell; American‑Canadian novelist and journalist John Vaillant; Chinese novelist and screenwriter Liu Zhenyun; Filipino historian Ambeth R Ocampo; Nigerian author Nnedi Okorafor; British novelist Clare Mackintosh; and Indian actress, writer and content creator Shenaz Treasurywala. The line‑up also features Australian writer and designer Peter Gould, South African actress and producer Salamina Mosese, Singaporean poet Natalie Wang, German novelist Daniela Tully and Thailand’s Rewat Panpipat.

Writing courses will be offered: German novelist Daniela Tully will lead a course on narrative voice, character development, dialogue, editing and the publishing process; Egyptian actor and writer Khaled El Sawy will present ‘Acting Studio: From Training to the Stage’, focusing on performance techniques, character development and improvisation.

The Cookery Corner will host live demonstrations by chefs from various traditions. Participating chefs are Mohammad Orfali from Syria, Salam Daqqaq from Palestine, Jad Youssef from Lebanon, Kausar Raja from Pakistan and the UK, and Marina Georgallides from Greece and the UK. They will be joined by Xavier Bramble from the Caribbean and the UK, Nitisha Patel, Romy Gill and Monisha Bharadwaj from India and the UK, and Omani chefs Sulaiman Al Kindi and Samira Al Aghbariya.

Etisalat’s 50th‑anniversary partnership

Etisalat, marking its 50th anniversary, will continue its longstanding sponsorship of the book fair. Saood Ibrahim Mohammed Saleh, Vice President of Government Sales (Dubai and Northern Emirates) at Etisalat, said the partnership reflects the importance of investing in knowledge and people alongside technological development. He stated: “As Etisalat marks its 50th anniversary, we take pride in our longstanding sponsorship of this major cultural event. We see this strategic partnership as a national and cultural responsibility, rooted in our belief that investing in people and knowledge is as important as investing in digital and technological infrastructure.”