Sharjah Book Authority’s ‘Publisher Weekly,’ in its upcoming 75th issue, is to be renamed ‘Book Magazine.’ Image: SBA
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Two Festivals: Emirati and African Literature
In October of 2017, a magazine called Publisher Weekly—not the Publishers Weekly familiar to some in the United States market—was released for the first time in the United Arab Emirates’ state of Sharjah, a project guided by Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi.
News today (January 9) from the Sharjah Book Authority is that in its 75th edition, the periodical will be renamed Book Magazine.
Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, the book authority’s chairperson, has personally led this rebranding, we’re told, as “a cultural symbol of the Sharjah Book Authority’s contributions.
Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of the book authority and the magazine’s editor-in-chief, has made the announcement of the magazine’s name change in an editorial, saying that the occasion of the 2017 release was the opening of the book authority’s offices in Sharjah Publishing City in Al Zahia.
Bodour Al Qasimi
In making the announcement, the authority says that Book Magazine will “seek to adopt a transformative approach to knowledge production, highlighting developments and challenges in the literary and publishing landscape at local, regional, and international levels.”
Al Ameri is emphasizing the magazine’s “esteemed reputation among readers in Arab cultural circles, as well as its influence in non-Arabic-speaking communities.”
Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri
The publication is expected to retain a focus on creative, intellectual, and critical writing, providing insights into Arabic literature as well as international linguistic and cultural contexts.
And in the forthcoming January 2025 edition of the newly renamed magazine, there’s to be:
- A study of the emergence of author-publishers in the Arab world
- Articles discussing Arabic manuscripts in Spain
- An examination of the influence of Ibn Hazm’s Ṭawq al-Ḥamāmah (The Ring of the Dove) on Spanish poet Juan Ruiz
- Interviews with poet Catherine Boudet from Réunion, Yemeni author and publisher Dr Hani Al Salwy, and Bolivian poet Daniel Ayoroa
A New Sharjah Literature Festival
Sharjah Book Authority has also announced the first outings of two festivals in the UAE’s third emirate.
Running from January 17 to 21, as announced by Bodour Al Qasimi, the founder and honorary president of the Emirates Publishers Association, the Sharjah Book Authority will join the publishers association in staging a weekend Sharjah Literature Festival.
Rashid Al Kous, executive director of the association, in announcing the new event, has said that the intent of this new four-day festival is to “celebrate Emirati literary works, highlight the achievements of Emirati publishers, and enhance the UAE’s position as a vibrant literary and cultural hub.”
Al Kous says, “We’re delighted to announce the launch of the first edition of the Sharjah Literature Festival, which marks a significant addition to the cultural and intellectual landscape of Sharjah and the UAE.
“The festival focuses on supporting and developing the publishing sector in the UAE by providing a platform for Emirati publishers to showcase their works and connect with a wider audience.”
Rashid Al Kous
The program for the festival is expected to bring together, according to the publishers association and book authority, “authors, publishers, and book enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds to exchange knowledge and unique experiences in an inspiring cultural atmosphere.
“Featuring a wide array of activities designed to cater to the interests of all visitors, the festival serves as an ideal platform to foster cultural dialogue and showcase the beauty of contemporary Emirati literature.”
Al Ameri says, “The festival will greatly enhance the local and international cultural agenda in Sharjah, a global cultural center.
“It unites the efforts of various stakeholders focused on writers, readers, and publishers. Additionally, it honors the rich legacy and contemporary achievements of Emirati authors, reinforcing the UAE’s status as a leading hub for creative industries worldwide.
A New Sharjah Festival of African Literature
On the weekend following the Sharjah Literature Festival, a second new outing, the Sharjah Festival of African Literature is expected to present more than 35 Emirati and African authors from at least 10 nations, running January 24 to 27.
This one is set at University City in Sharjah, and intended to “highlight Africa’s creative heritage and deepen its connections with the Arab world.”
Abdulrazak Gurnah
Included among expected guests are the Nobel laureates in literature Wole Soyinka and Abdulrazak Gurnah, who Publishing Perspectives interviewed at Sharjah shortly after his win was announced in 2021.
Key Emirati authors anticipated to be speaking are Abdulaziz Almusallam, chair of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage; Mariam Alhashmi, a literary critic; and writer Salha Obaid. They’ll join poet and writer Shaikha Al Mutairi Ali Al Abdan; poet and media personality Mohammed Al-Habsi; and writer Eman Alyousuf.
In addition, participants announced include Lola Shoneyin, winner of the Frankfurter Buchmesse and Torino Salone Internazionale del Libro‘s Aficionado Award; Nigerian lawyer and literacy advocate Ifeoma Esiri; Nigerian novelist Chika Unigwe; Zimbabwean author Tendai Huchu; Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor; Ugandan novelist Jennifer Makumbi; and Nigerian poet and artist Wana Udobang.
The program is another organized by Sharjah Book Authority.
More from Publishing Perspectives on international events is here, more on Sharjah Book Authority and its programs is here, and more on the United Arab Emirates is here.