The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) is participating in the 67th edition of the Frankfurt International Book Fair, set to take place in Germany from October 14-18, as part of its drive to make partnerships and promote initiatives and events organised by the authority.The Frankfurt Book Fair 2015 has the participation of 7500 exhibitors from 110 countries from all over the world, and this year celebrates Indonesia as Guest of Honour under the slogan “Indonesia - 17,000 Islands of Imagination” in honour of the world's largest Muslim population in one country. Organizers had said they wanted to host Indonesia as the Guest of Honour to highlight the country’s tolerance of Islam and to promote Indonesia’s rich culture through the participation of an elite group of Indonesian writers, poets and celebrities.
H.E. Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA, said, “The Frankfurt International Book Fair offers a wider insight into the global book industry in terms of the views of industry experts and all stakeholders and people interested in the book industry, which is still energetic and dynamic and witnessing continuous growth despite modern challenges.”Al Ameri underlined the importance of the Frankfurt Book Fair and its distinctiveness in focusing on industry experts and professionals rather than the ordinary audience offering an opportunity to introduce publishing houses and translation agencies to the Sharjah Book Authority, which includes under its umbrella the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF) and the SIBF Translation Grant as well as many other projects and initiatives.
Al Ameeri added, "SBA is growing in presence on the intentional stage thanks to the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah who seeks to instill in all people an appreciation of reading and a love of books. We are honoured to participate in the Frankfurt Book Fair for the first time as every year we are finding new markets to showcase our events and initiatives such as the Translation Grant Scheme and Matchmaking initiative taking place during the SIBF 2015.” The SBA Chairman expressed his delight that Indonesia was the Guest of Honour at the 2015 Frankfurt Book Fair affording Indonesia the opportunity to take a tentative step on the international literary stage. He said, “This allows the world to know more about the civilization and culture of a large Islamic country, while enabling SBA to network with Indonesian figures participating in this literary extravaganza and invite them to visit Sharjah and participate in its fairs and events. Our participation also allows us the opportunity to develop skills by participating in training workshops.”
In addition to meetings and networking the SBA's other activities will involve the distribution of application forms for the Translation Grant and attracting new publishers to be part of this project that aims to promote inter-cultural dialogue and make people aware of each other's creativities, thus paving the way for establishing stability and peace in the world.The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) was set up in December 2014 and is tasked with encouraging investment in creative industries and offering a platform for the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people from different countries and cultures. It is also entrusted with emphasizing the significant role of writers and their influence in spreading awareness in society in light of technological advancement and the availability of various sources of knowledge. SBA also aims to attract relevant bodies and figures operating in the cultural sector in general, and publishing, printing, translation, documentation and children’s books in particular.