It seems that reading has cast its spell over the United Arab Emirates. All over Dubai and Sharjah are posters announcing the opening of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) in its 32nd round, and book displays accompanied by fair guides at existing bookshops and elsewhere. This year Lebanon is the fair's guest of honour while Portugal, New Zealand, Hungary and the United Kingdom are participating for the first time. Egypt, which was the guest of honour last year, contributes 130 publishers. Inaugurated by the ruler of Sharjah Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qasimi, the 11-day event introduces over 400,000 titles in 180 languages, and gathers publishers from 53 countries, 23 of which are Arab. Over 580 activities are scheduled to take place, 200 of which are geared to children. Cooking takes up 25 activities with a focus on Indian, Pakistani, Gulf and Mediterranean cuisines. Honoured this year are the Lebanese Minister of Culture Gaby Layyoun, the celebrated author Lord Jeffrey Archer, and the former Indian president A.P.J. Abdul-Kalam. Egypt's former Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni was chosen by the SIBF to receive Sharjah's Cultural Personality Award for 2013, for his contribution to Arab culture. According to a press release from Sharjah's department of culture and information, Hosni received the 2013 Sharjah Cultural Personality Award at an honorary ceremony in Sharjah attended by Sheikh Sultan Al-Qasimi. The Egyptian judge and novelist Achraf Al-Achmawi is to be honoured at the SIBF for his novel Toya, which reached the Arabic Booker long list. According to the SIBF programme, Al-Achmawi will give a private seminar and two discussion forums at the Sharjah University and the Mohamed Al-Fateh School on his novel and his experience writing as an outsider to the cultural and literary spheres. He will also have a book-signing event. Likewise journalist-novelist Ibrahim Eissa with his novel Mawlana. Also present at the fair will be Lebanese novelist Najwa Barakat, Lebanese poet and television host Zahi Wehbe, Egyptian novelist Youssef Al-Qaeed, Algerian novelist Wasini Al-Araj, Kuwaiti television presenter Fawziah Al-Dorai, Lebanese television host Tony Khalifa, and Indian actor Kamal Hassan, among many others. At the opening ceremony, Layyoun, Lebanon's minister of culture, pointed out that his country's participation as a guest of honour at the fair confirms its strong cultural relations with the Emirates. YoungSuk Chi, president of the International Publishers Association, commended the SIBF's efforts to bring renowned authors face-to-face with their readers. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamed bin Sultan Al-Qasimi, crown prince and deputy ruler of Sharjah, honoured the winners of the fifth edition of the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children's Literature. According to Tamer Said, business development manager at Kalimat Group, the SFC is an ideal annual event, providing a great opportunity for publishers from all over the globe to exhibit new works to a large number of visitors and guests, including intellectuals and critics. Sheikh Sultan also honoured the National Library of Abu Dhabi as the best local publisher, while the award for the best Arab publisher went to the Centre for Arab Unity Studies. An Exceptional Woman by Ali Abul-Reesh received the award for best Emirati Book. The award for best Emirati academic book was given to Dramatic Masks at the Sultan Al-Qasimi Theatre by Maitha Majid Mohamed Al-Shamsi. Making Traditional Swords and Daggers in the Emirates by Halima Abdallah Rashid Al-Sayegh won the award for best Emirati book about the UAE. Zayed: Man who Built a Nation by Graeme Wilson won the award for best book in translation. The 6000 Miles by Mohamed Muhib Jabr won the award for best Arabic novel, while Vauxhall by Gabriel Gbadamosi was declared the best international novel.
