Bulgarian writer and International Booker Prize winner Georgi Gospodinov and Bollywood actress and author Huma Qureshi are among this year's top guests at next month's Sharjah International Book Fair.
They will join other notable speakers from across the Arab world, including Egyptian actor Ahmed Ezz; Egyptian author and screenwriter Ahmed Mourad; Kuwaiti writer and novelist writer Laila Al-Othman; and Tunisian poet Adam Fathi.
Eighty-five Emirati and Arab authors, including novelists, poets and playwrights, will also feature at the event, which runs from November 6 to 17 at Expo Centre Sharjah.
Leading the Emirati contingent are International Prize for Arabic Fiction nominee Sultan Al Ameemi, author Ibrahim Al-Hashimi and poet Ali Al Abdan. They join an array of renowned Arab novelists, including Egyptian novelist and screenwriter Amir Atef; Sudanese author Hammour Ziada; Jordanian author and translator Saleh Abu Osba; and Iraqi writer Ali Bader. Lebanese poet and novelist Rashid Al Daif and Yemeni writer Ahmed Slami will also make an appearance, in addition to prominent Jordanian scientist and writer Rana Dajani.
Author and academic Fairouz Recham is the first name announced from what is set to be a strong contingent of literary figures from Morocco, as the North African kingdom is designated as the festival's guest of honour.
Other guests include Pakistani novelist Amna Mufti, author of Paani Mar Raha Hai, as well as British writer of Afghan-Indian descent, Tahir Shah, author of a number of bestselling works, such as The Caliph’s House. Canadian theoretical physicist and cosmologist Lawrence M Krauss will also be in attendance, as well as renowned historian Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads: A New History of the World and South African poet and writer Iain S Thomas, known for his books I Wrote This for You and Every Word You Cannot Say.
This year's theme, It Starts with a Book, focuses on the importance of reading and storytelling, said Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, chief executive of Sharjah Book Authority, which has organised the event for 43 years.
“The book is the origin of all things and is the record of all human achievements. The theme encapsulates the belief that every significant journey in learning and personal growth begins with a book, serving as a gateway to endless knowledge and understanding,” Al Ameri said.
“In an era where information is abundant, it is important to recognise books as foundational tools that facilitate individual enlightenment and ultimately contribute to the collective progress of society.”
More than 2,000 publishers from 100 countries are set to participate, out of which 835 will be Arab. Of those Arab publishers, the UAE will have 234 publishers present at the festival, while 172 will be from Egypt, 88 from Lebanon and 58 from Syria.
There will also be 400 authors present at the festival to sign their latest books and interact with readers. Panel discussions, workshops and other cultural activities featuring more than 100 writers, thinkers, intellectuals and artists from the region and around the world will also take place.
Morocco is the guest of honour, with the festival set to showcase the country’s rich literary and cultural legacy. “Our long-standing relationship with Sharjah and the UAE are evident in the collaborative spirit we share,” said Ahmed El Tazi, ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the UAE.
“Morocco aims to leave a positive impact through a carefully curated agenda prepared by our Ministry of Culture and Communication, which will represent the current Moroccan cultural scene through exhibits, seminars and sessions featuring a distinguished group of philosophers, thinkers and writers.”
The 43rd Sharjah International Book Fair will run between November 6 and 17 at the Expo Centre Sharjah
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
%3Cp%3EFirst%20ODI%20-%20Sunday%2C%20June%204%20%0D%3Cbr%3ESecond%20ODI%20-%20Tuesday%2C%20June%206%20%0D%3Cbr%3EThird%20ODI%20-%20Friday%2C%20June%209%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMatches%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Stadium.%20All%20games%20start%20at%204.30pm%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20squad%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMuhammad%20Waseem%20(captain)%2C%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20Adithya%20Shetty%2C%20Ali%20Naseer%2C%20Ansh%20Tandon%2C%20Aryansh%20Sharma%2C%20Asif%20Khan%2C%20Basil%20Hameed%2C%20Ethan%20D%E2%80%99Souza%2C%20Fahad%20Nawaz%2C%20Jonathan%20Figy%2C%20Junaid%20Siddique%2C%20Karthik%20Meiyappan%2C%20Lovepreet%20Singh%2C%20Matiullah%2C%20Mohammed%20Faraazuddin%2C%20Muhammad%20Jawadullah%2C%20Rameez%20Shahzad%2C%20Rohan%20Mustafa%2C%20Sanchit%20Sharma%2C%20Vriitya%20Aravind%2C%20Zahoor%20Khan%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Other key dates
-
Finals draw: December 2
-
Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
-
Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
-
Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5