The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) participated in the recently concluded New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF), a major calendar event in the publishing world. The 31st edition of the book fair was held at the centrally-located Pragati Maidan in India’s capital city from 25 February to 5 March, 2023.
The SBA showcased around 70 publications by Emirati writers translated into Hindi, a cultural initiative aimed to promote cross-cultural communication and support the global publishing industry.
On the opening day, SBA Chairman Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri presented a collection of books written by HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, translated into Hindi, to Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs and Education, who inaugurated the nine-day fair. Dr. Singh received the gift on behalf of External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
“The SBA’s participation in NDWBF highlights Sharjah’s role as a cultural gateway to Arab culture and civilization and its aim to promote Sharjah’s presence at international events and develop translation projects from Arabic to Hindi,” says Al Ameri.
During the event, the SBA delegates also met with representatives of the National Book Trust (NBT), the organizers of NDWBF, and several Indian publishers to explore the prospects of developing a good publishing partnership. The SBA also provided insights into the Sharjah Publishing City (SPC) Free Zone, translation grants, the Sharjah International Literary Agency (SILA), the Arab Children’s Book Publishers Forum, and other opportunities to enhance cultural exchange, encourage translation, and support quality publishing initiatives.
Year-long initiatives and events such as the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), the SIBF Publishers Conference, and the National Libraries Summit, have become vibrant platforms of the SBA for supporting creative industries and bringing authors and publishers together.
