Sharjah opens Guest of Honour participation at WIBF Thursday

Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority, will lead Sharjah’s delegation at the Warsaw International Book Fair 2026, taking place in the Polish capital from May 28 to 31. The participation reflects the emirate’s continued efforts to expand its presence across major international cultural platforms and strengthen ties with European publishers and writers, reinforcing Sharjah’s position as a global centre for culture and publishing.

Through a 400-square-metre pavilion, Sharjah will present a cultural programme reflecting the diversity of the UAE’s creative landscape, featuring 21 cultural, academic and media institutions, 36 Emirati writers, poets, academics and artists, and 15 Polish participants. Built around direct dialogue between Arab and Polish cultural experiences, the programme places books at the centre of exchange between peoples.

Sharjah’s participation features 35 cultural activities, including 28 panel discussions, four poetry evenings and three children’s workshops hosted across the fairgrounds, the University of Warsaw and the Grochoteka Public Library, alongside 18 performances by the Sharjah National Band. The performances will introduce audiences across Warsaw to traditional Emirati musical and artistic expressions through a programme that connects literature with lived cultural experience.

Dialogue through letters and civilisations

The participation slogan, “Two Civilisations. One Language of Letters”, reflects the visual and cultural connections between Arabic and Polish scripts, presenting letters as a shared space that can bridge cultures despite differences in language and context. The slogan aligns with a programme that brings together writers, artists, institutions and readers through literature, art and knowledge.

This artistic dialogue is further reflected in the “Tasawurat” (Visions) project, which brings together 10 artists and designers from the UAE and Poland to create poster works inspired by Arabic and Polish poetry. Exploring themes including humanity, nature, the sea and existential reflection, the project draws on poetic traditions alongside Poland’s longstanding poster art movement.

Cultural sessions at the University of Warsaw

As part of Sharjah’s Guest of Honour programme, the University of Warsaw will host a series of discussions highlighting key aspects of the Emirati cultural scene. The session “The Pivotal Role of the Emirate of Sharjah in Theatre” will explore the emirate’s contribution to Emirati and Arab theatre, while “The Voice of Emirati Poetry” will feature readings by Emirati poets reflecting the vitality of the UAE’s contemporary poetry movement.

A window into Arab creativity

Sharjah’s programme at the fair highlights a range of literary and intellectual experiences through sessions exploring theatre in the emirate, developments in the Emirati novel and contemporary poetry, alongside discussions on the Arab cultural movement and its engagement with global literary experiences. The Sharjah pavilion will also showcase six titles translated into Polish, offering readers in Poland direct access to examples of Emirati and Arab literature.

Participating institutions at the Sharjah pavilion include Al Qasimi Publications, Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah, University of Sharjah, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah Book Authority, and Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi Centre for Gulf Studies, alongside the Emirates Writers Union, Emirates Publishers Association, Emirates Library and Information Association, House of Wisdom, Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone, Sharjah Literary Agency and Emirates Reprographic Rights Management Association.

Also participating are UAEBBY, Kalimat Group, Kalimat Foundation, and the PublisHer initiative, in addition to the Sharjah Department of Culture, Sharjah Institute for Heritage, Sharjah Archaeology Authority, and Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, in a presence that reflects the integration of Sharjah’s cultural project across publishing, education, heritage, the arts, and media.

Spotlight on Emirati cultural figures

The programme also highlights children’s and young adult literature through sessions and workshops exploring storytelling’s ability to cross borders and build shared human connections, while encouraging children to engage with books as both literary and visual experiences. It also includes a session on Emirati theatre and its presence across regional and international cultural stages.

Sharjah’s delegation includes a distinguished group of Emirati writers, poets, academics and artists, among them Dr Sultan Al Ameemi, His Excellency Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Her Excellency Marwa Al Aqroubi, His Excellency Fahad Al Mamari, Khulood Al Mualla, Dhaen Shaheen Al Nuaimi, Dr Hind Al Mashmoom, Mohammed bin Dakhin Al Matroushi, Kaltham Abdullah, Salha Ghabish, Abdulrahman Al Hemeiri, Nadia Al Najjar, Dr Habib Ghuloom, Dr Abdul Hakim Al Zubaidi, Sheikha Al Mutairi, Amira BuKadra, Ali Al Shaali, Dr Latifa Al Haj, Fatima Al Hammadi, Saeed Mohammed, Dalal Al Jaberi, Nasir Nasrallah, Khaled Al Khawar, and Alya Al Hammadi.

This year’s Warsaw International Book Fair will host more than 1,200 events, including author talks, literary discussions, workshops, professional networking sessions and book launches, reinforcing its position as one of the leading publishing and cultural platforms in Poland and Europe. The fair also provides a space for exchange between publishers, writers, cultural institutions and audiences from around the world.