THESSALONIKI: Celebrating a new milestone in its cultural journey of fostering meaningful intercultural connections, Sharjah will assume the role of the first Arab Guest of Honour at the 20th Thessaloniki International Book Fair (TIBF), scheduled from 16th to 19th May.
In its engagement at the fair, Sharjah is poised to curate a comprehensive cultural itinerary, featuring over 30 panel discussions, innovative workshops, and captivating heritage shows, and showcasing 10 books spanning poetry, prose, arts and studies, all translated into Greek, in an open dialogue with the cultural landscape in Greece.
Led by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), the emirate’s delegation will be represented by more than 20 cultural, educational, and heritage institutions from Sharjah, who will work towards fostering deeper collaboration and partnerships between Emirati entities and their Greek counterparts.
The delegates will exemplify Sharjah’s cultural project, which stems f
rom the Emirati and Arab identity, in its quest to create a global positive impact on knowledge and the creative industries.
The TIBF will be celebrating Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, by hosting her in a session titled ‘Unlocking Worlds: Children’s Literature and World Book Capitals,’ to speak about her book World Book Capital, which addresses the ‘Sharjah World Book Capital 2019’ experience. Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi will be highlighting the transformative power of children’s literature in raising awareness about World Book Capitals, alongside Anna Routsi, World Book Capital Network Expert, and will delve into the inspiration behind such literary endeavours, and her efforts in promoting Arab culture globally.
The Sharjah GoH programme was announced by Ahmed Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) during a press conference on Tuesday 14th of May, which was organised by the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, in cooperation with Greek Publishers to unveil the agenda of the 20th edition of the T
hessaloniki International Book Fair (TIBF).
‘Through the Sharjah Guest of Honour programme at TIBF, we are keen to foster constructive dialogue with all entities dedicated to culture and the creative industries, globally. The TIBF will bring new networking opportunities for authors, cultural entities, publishing and copyrights professionals as well as literary agents, and offer the Greek and global communities a gateway to the history of Emirati culture,’ Al Ameri said.
Source: Emirates News Agency