"Sharjah African Literature Festival" Launches on January 14th

Sharjah, December 23, 2020 – Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, during the period from January 14 to 18, 2020, the second session of the “Sharjah African Literature Festival” organized by the Sharjah Book Authority will be launched in the University City of Sharjah, and under the directives of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Authority’s Board of Directors.

This year, the festival comes to continue the success of its first session, which attracted more than 10,000 visitors, presenting a new approach to understanding African literary experiences by presenting topics that reflect the transformations of societies and the memory of peoples, and opening multiple paths for the audience to discover the diversity of the African story and its artistic and intellectual rhythms.

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Sharjah Book Authority, said that the Sharjah African Literature Festival reflects the global cultural role that Sharjah has acquired as a comprehensive international center that sees literature as a shared human space that transcends borders and classifications, and to which the emirate is committed with responsibility and a long-term vision.

She added that the festival is becoming increasingly important in shaping the course of world literature, as it enhances cultural diversity, enriches local literary practice through global exchange, supports translation, expands the international presence of writers and publishers, and confirms the status of literature as a vital force in shaping global human consciousness.

For his part, His Excellency Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority, said that the continuation of the “Sharjah African Literature Festival” is the fruit of the enlightened cultural vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who established the role of literature in building bridges of communication between peoples.

He added that organizing the new session under the leadership of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi reinforces the commitment of the Sharjah Book Authority to expand spaces of cultural dialogue and highlight creative diversity in the world, pointing out that the festival is a unique space to discover African literary experiences and interact with them critically and aesthetically and contribute to strengthening the translation and publishing movement and generating new knowledge that reflects the depth and influence of this literature.

In its new session, the festival seeks to deepen the presence of African literature in the local and Arab cultural scene, highlight the richness of African narrative and poetic experiences, and enhance cultural exchange through direct dialogues between writers, publishers, academics and the public, which contributes to building long-term knowledge and humanitarian bridges between the African continent and the region.

The Sharjah African Literature Festival offers a diverse program of events that includes dialogue seminars and discussion sessions on issues of literature, identity and memory, and workshops directed at children and young people to introduce African heritage and stories, in addition to artistic and musical performances, experiments in the African culinary arts, and an art exhibition that celebrates the aesthetics of image and color in African culture, giving the public the opportunity to live an integrated cultural experience.

During the coming period, the Sharjah Book Authority will announce the list of guests, speakers, and the main themes of the festival’s program in its 2026 session, in addition to details regarding the participation of writers, publishers, and those interested in African studies and world literature, in a way that ensures the expansion of the circle of attendance and participation and the consolidation of Sharjah’s position as a global center for cultural and literary dialogue.

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