The Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi and Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Qasimi escort Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, accompanied by Khoula Al Mujaini, Mohamed Noor Hersi, and festival guests. Image: SBA, Nabs Ahmedi
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
‘A Decisive Step’
The United Arab Emirates’ third-largest emirate Sharjah has opened two new festivals this month. The first was the debut of the Sharjah Literature Festival, and the second has closed overnight (January 27)—the inaugural staging of the Sharjah Festival of African Literature.
A high point of the new African program was a presentation of the Sharjah Book Authority chair Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi and CEO Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri of a Sharjah Lifetime Achievement in Literature Award to Wole Soyinka, the Nigerian Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Soyinka and his fellow Nobel winner Tanzanian author Abdulrazak Gurnah topped a guest list of 29 African honorees representing 10 African nations, featuring three book discussions and eight seminars.
Staged under the patronage of Sharjah’s author-emir Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi and titled The Tale of Africa, the four-day festival also produced 12 children’s workshops focused on elements of African heritage in the making of pottery, jewelry, and illustration in storytelling.
‘A Unifying Platform for Meaningful Dialogue’
In describing her rationale for the development of this new event, Al Qasimi said, “The Sharjah Festival of African Literature marks a decisive step in strengthening human connections through cultural exchange.
“The longstanding ties between the Arab and African worlds, built over centuries of interaction, represent a rich legacy of shared values, influence, and collaboration. Initiatives like the Sharjah Festival of African Literature reaffirm our commitment to honoring these connections and exploring the wealth of the world’s diverse civilizations.
“Africa’s cultural heritage is the defining example of resilience and creativity, shaped by generations of immense contributions to humanity’s collective story. By embracing this legacy, we unlock a vast reservoir of knowledge, artistic expression, and inspiration.”
For his part, Al Ameri spoke of Sheikh Sultan’s “unwavering belief in the importance of writers [who] are the narrators of our histories, interpreters of our present, and visionaries of our future.
“By honoring African literature, Sharjah Book Authority and this festival advance Sheikha Bodour’s directive to highlight international literary traditions. It not only celebrates African culture but also upholds literature as a unifying platform for meaningful dialogue between the Arab and African worlds.”
‘Stories That Have Shaped Our Histories’
Lola Shoneyin
Serving as co-curator of the Sharjah festival, Nigeria’s Lola Shoneyin—the first winner of the Aficionado Award, a program of Frankfurter Buchmesse and Torino’s book fair—told the audience, “This festival provides a unique opportunity to uncover the stories that have shaped our histories, bridging the gap between our complex pasts and uniting us. Sheikha Bodour continues to be a friend of Africa in the truest sense.
“Her vision for the Sharjah Festival of African Literature exemplifies this friendship. Africa and the Arab world share deep-rooted connections, yet we have not established enough platforms to collaborate. Today, we take a bold step in changing that narrative. When creative minds come together, magic happens, and this is because literature connects us in ways other things seldom can.”
The festival’s opening included a performance by the Al Multaqa Orchestra, blending traditions of Arabic melodies and African-inspired rhythms. An African dance troupe staged choreography and costumes reflective of the diversity of Africa’s cultural traditions.
Guests in the first staging of the Sharjah Festival of African Literature. The Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi and Nigeria’s Wole Soyinka are at the center with Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri and Nigerian winner of the Aficionado Award, Lola Shoneyin. Image: SBA, Nabs Ahmedi
More from Publishing Perspectives on international events is here, more on Sharjah Book Authority and its programs is here, more on publishing in Africa is here, and more on the United Arab Emirates is here.