Rio de Janeiro: Under the directives of Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), the Emirate of Sharjah is showcasing its rich cultural vision at the Rio International Book Fair 2025 in Brazil, highlighting the vibrancy of contemporary Emirati and Arab literature.
According to Emirates News Agency, the authority is presenting a selection of Emirati works translated into Portuguese, reflecting the emirate's commitment to sharing the UAE's cultural achievements with the world. The authority's participation in the largest event of its kind in Latin America, which runs until 22nd June, comes as part of Brazil's celebration of World Book Capitals following the selection of Rio de Janeiro as the World Book Capital for 2025. This prestigious title, which Sharjah held in 2019, recognises the emirate's global standing in supporting culture and the publishing industry.
Through its pavilion, SBA shed light on the diversity of the cultural movement in the UAE and the wider Arab world, highlighting major achievements in knowledge, literature, and publishing. The authority actively engaged in panel discussions and held meetings with publishers, translators, and cultural organisations to strengthen knowledge exchange and expand opportunities for translating works to and from Arabic.
As part of its efforts to build lasting partnerships, SBA invited key players in the publishing industry to take part in the emirate's leading international initiatives, including the Sharjah International Book Fair, the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival, the Sharjah Publishers Conference, the Sharjah International Library Conference, and other prominent global events held throughout the year.
Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of SBA, affirmed that the authority's participation in the Rio International Book Fair reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who places culture at the heart of development strategies and views books as a powerful tool for building bridges of dialogue with the world. Al Ameri stated that Sharjah's presence in Rio highlights the central role of Emirati and Arab culture on the global knowledge map.
As part of the cultural programme at the book fair, SBA organised a panel discussion titled "The heritage of Arab literature and Sharjah-led new literary movement", which explored the evolution of the Emirati literary landscape and the emirate's vital contribution to nurturing writers and advancing cultural initiatives. The session featured renowned Emirati authors whose works have been translated into Portuguese by SBA.
On the sidelines of the event, SBA organised a special book signing ceremony for the translated titles, underscoring the authority's commitment to deepening cultural exchange and strengthening the international presence of Emirati literature. During its participation, SBA highlighted several of its leading initiatives in publishing and knowledge exchange.
The Sharjah pavilion also hosted the PublisHer initiative, the global platform founded by Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi to champion the role of women in publishing and create meaningful opportunities for female publishers to connect, collaborate, and exchange knowledge. The pavilion showcased a curated selection of titles from Al Qasimi Publications, alongside works from the Department of Culture highlighting Sharjah's cultural landscape.
First held in 1983, the Rio International Book Fair has grown into Brazil's largest literary festival, organised by the National Union of Book Publishers in collaboration with major publishing houses, attracting hundreds of writers and more than 600,000 visitors annually.