Sharjah Book Authority hosts the first African Literature Festival
Sharjah, December 25 / WAM / Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and with the support and directives of Sheikha Durbint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Sharjah Book Authority, the Sharjah Book Authority will organize during the period from 24 to 27 of next January in the University City In Sharjah, the first session of the “Sharjah African Literature Festival”, under the slogan “Africa’s Story”.
The festival hosts more than 20 African writers and novelists, including winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature, with the aim of enhancing cultural exchange between Africa and the Arab world, providing a platform for celebrating African creative heritage and facilitating constructive dialogue between writers, intellectuals, artists and the public.
The festival is an opportunity to encourage participants to acquire new knowledge and build cultural ties between the Arab world and the African continent in an atmosphere that celebrates creative diversity within an interactive environment that brings together the audience with an elite group of African writers, including the Tanzanian writers and novelists Abdul Razzaq Qaranah and the Nigerian Wole Soyinka, winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature, along with an elite group of writers. Among the Emirati writers who highlight the most prominent African literary and artistic contributions and their role in enriching the global cultural scene.
Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi said that the Sharjah African Literature Festival is a testament to literature’s profound ability to connect continents together and highlight common human truths. By celebrating the enduring legacy of African storytelling, we transcend cultural divisions and honor the limitless creativity that tells the story of our collective heritage. She expressed her confidence that this festival will open new channels for cultural exchange and enhance understanding between Africa and the Arab world through the platform it provides for self-expression within a global dialogue.
His Excellency Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority, said that organizing the festival reflects the authority’s firm commitment, under the leadership and guidance of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, to open new literary horizons and redraw the map of global cultural interaction by highlighting the striking literatures of African peoples. Deep in human memory.
He added that the festival contributes to the exchange of experiences between writers, publishers, researchers and the specialized public, which leads to enriching the wealth of knowledge in African literature and establishes a new type of cultural relations that goes beyond getting to know the other to celebrating them and appreciating their creative heritage.
The festival seeks to deepen appreciation for African culture and enhance interaction between Emirati and African communities, through an integrated program of activities that include literary seminars, children’s workshops, musical performances, and African culinary experiences, in addition to an art exhibition and platforms for artistic performances.
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