Continuing to promote Sharjah’s cultural vision, the Sharjah World Book Capital Office, SWBC Office 2019, focused on UAE’s efforts to promote reading, at the International Publishers Association’s, IPA, second regional seminar in Africa, held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Themed “Africa Rising: Realising Africa’s Potential as a Global Publishing Leader in the 21st Century”, the two-day seminar organised by the IPA and the Kenya Publishers Association, KPA, brought together more than 600 participants, speakers, publishers and authors from 50 countries to shed light on the pillars of sustainable development in Africa.

At the event, the SWBC Office shared Sharjah’s plans to celebrate its selection as the UNESCO World Book Capital 2019, in addition to the SWBC’s programme of activities aimed at promoting reading in the UAE and the region. The office highlighted the key pillars on which the year-long celebrations have been based. It also remarked that the programme has dedicated an array of activities to engage children and youth more effectively with books and reading, as well as other programmes featuring arts, literature and science under the SWBC 2019 theme, “Open Books Open Minds”.

Marwa Al Aqroubi, Project Manager of SWBC 2019, pointed out that the office is looking to create a robust culture of reading in the nation this year, as it is the key to furthering human development. She stressed that the IPA seminar has helped SWBC Office showcase Sharjah’s leading cultural efforts to African intellectuals, authors and publishers.

The committee at UNESCO named Sharjah the World Book Capital 2019 in appreciation of its vital role in supporting books and promoting reading. The year-long celebration programme was inaugurated on 23rd April, 2019.



