Over 1,200 events, 250 authors, celebrity guests

Millions of titles on offer

Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority at Expo Centre Sharjah, SIBF 2025 features over 2,350 publishers, including 1,224 Arab and 1,126 international publishers, offering millions of titles to visitors under the theme “Between You and a Book.”

Greece as Guest of Honour

Greece has been named Guest of Honour, celebrating its cultural and literary heritage. The programme includes 58 Greek publishers and cultural institutions presenting 600 titles, alongside 70 Greek creatives including authors, poets, translators, illustrators, academics, musicians, and librarians.

Highlights at the Greek pavilion include:

Exhibition: “Greek Literature: The Long Journey”
Interactive theatre shows and musical performances
Workshops and joint sessions with Emirati creatives
Live sessions at the Cookery Corner

Cultural Personality of the Year

Egyptian writer and playwright Mohamed Salmawy has been named Cultural Personality of the Year, recognising over five decades of contributions to Arab literature, theatre, and cultural discourse.

Will Smith makes SIBF debut

International star Will Smith will appear on Friday, November 14, discussing his career in writing, film, music, and entrepreneurship, and sharing insights on persistence, creativity, and artistic growth.

Notable sessions and speakers

Khaled El Sawy and Dhafer L’Abidine: “From Acting to Writing” on November 8
Arab luminaries: Issa Yousef, Dr. Sultan Al Ameemi, Dr. Zahi Hawass, Dr. Hamad bin Seray, Ahmed Al Jasmi, Mo Gawdat, Taleb Al Refai, Abdulwahab Al Rifai
Global thinkers and authors: Carlo Rovelli, Paul Lynch, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Bano Mushtaq, Prajakta Koli, Dr. Julie Smith, Mira Sethi, Lisa Dillman

Thriller festival returns

The fourth edition of the Thriller Festival runs November 8–11 with 13 authors and experts in crime, mystery, and psychological thrillers from North America, South Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Interactive theatrical performance “Murder at the Majlis” by AUS graduate Bhoomika Ghaghada, directed by Tarun Shyam
Participation from international authors including Jennifer Hillier, Chris Pavone, Ragnar Jónasson, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, S. Hussain Zaidi, Omar Shahid Hamid, Mirna Al Mahdi

Over 1,200 events and 750 workshops

1,200 events, including 300 cultural sessions
66 international speakers from 19 countries, 62 Arab speakers from 20 countries, and 30 Emirati participants
750 workshops, covering translation, creative writing, screenwriting, and publishing

Popular workshops include:

“What Do Translators Really Do?”
“Creative Writing”
“From Final Draft to Finished Book”
Children’s sessions: “Mini Library,” “Mini Café,” “Make Your Own Frame,” “Build Your Own House”

Poetry and Languages

The Poetry Café hosts sessions in Arabic, Greek, English, Russian, Urdu, Punjabi, Malayalam, and Tagalog, featuring poets such as Saeed Al Mana, Hamad Al Braidi, Danae Sioziou, Saara Ali, Dr. Zubair Farooq, Maxim Zamshev, Mikhail Levantovskiy, Ataul Haq Qasmi, Surendar Sharma, Luna Sicat Cleto and others.

Pop-up academy, podcasts, and cookery corner

Pop-Up Academy: Sessions led by influencers in literature, media, art, and technology
Poetry Pharmacy: Bilingual Arabic-English “prescriptions” of poetry
Podcast Station: Regional shows including Asmar, Jolan, Karakpodcast, Kirsi Al Ithnayn, Takhayyal, Arab Cast
Cookery Corner: 35 live sessions led by 14 international chefs, including Hisham Asaad, Fadi Kattan, Philip Khoury, Hawa Hassan, Ashia Ismail-Singer, Susana Villasuso, Mama Wafaa, Diaa Al Hanoun