Bodour Al Qasimi Celebrates SIBF 2025 Award Winners At Sharjah International Book Fair

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority, celebrated the winners of the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair Awards (SIBF 2025) during a ceremony on Wednesday. The event took place at Expo Centre Sharjah and was attended by Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority. This year's fair, themed "Between You and a Book," will continue until November 16.

The SIBF 2025 saw a notable rise in submissions, receiving 2,076 entries. These included 184 from Emirati authors, 1,339 from Arab writers, 454 international entries, and 99 submissions for the Turjuman Award. The increase reflects the fair's growing influence and appeal among writers worldwide.

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In her keynote address, Khoula Al Mujaini, General Coordinator of SIBF, highlighted the cultural project's expansion since its inception by Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi. She emphasised that those shaping the cultural landscape have treated language as a duty and creativity as a commitment to renewal. With ongoing support from Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, they have fostered a shared memory linking books to readers and language to daily life.

Sheikha Bodour honoured winners in various categories at SIBF 2025. Nadia Al Najjar received the Best Emirati Book (Novel) Award for "The Texture of Light," published by Almutawassit Publications. Trends Research & Advisory won Best Emirati (Academic) Book for "The Age of Pearls.. From Poverty to Prosperity," with CEO Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali accepting the award.

The Best Emirati Creative Literature (Theatre) Book award went to Dr. Abdul Hakim Al Zubaidi for "Texts From Nights In Cordoba," published by the Arab Theatre Authority. Asmaa Al Hamli won Best Emirati Book (First Novel) Award for "The Sand Tribe," published by Dar Boumlha Publishing and Distribution.

Abdelaziz Ait Bensalah was awarded Best Arabic (Novel) Book for "House of Life," published by Dar Meskiliani Publishing and Distribution. In international categories, Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu won Best Foreign Book Award (Fiction) for "The Creation of Half-Broken People," published by Picador Africa; Aoife Lennon-Ritchie accepted on her behalf.

Honouring Publishing Excellence

Sunita Krishnan received The Best Foreign Book Award (Non-Fiction) for "I Am What I Am," published by Westland Books. The ceremony also recognised winners in publishing house categories: Nabti Publishing House won Best Local Publishing House Award; Managing Director Mohammed Abdullah Nour Al Din accepted it.

Dar - Al Ahlia Bookstore was named Best Arabic Publishing House; Ahmed Sufyan Abu Touq accepted this honour. Penguin Random House received Best Foreign Publisher Award; Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO of Penguin Random House India, accepted it on behalf of the company.

Celebrating Partnerships

The event also acknowledged SIBF 2025 partners: e& as official partner; Arada as development partner; Invest Bank and Bank of Sharjah as banking partners; Sharjah Broadcasting Authority as official media partner; Expo Centre Sharjah as strategic partner; Abu Dhabi Media as media partner; Trends Research and Advisory as knowledge partner; Sharjah International Airport as strategic partner; Central Finance Department as fintech partner.

This year's awards highlight significant achievements across diverse literary fields while strengthening connections between authors and readers globally through shared cultural experiences at SIBF 2025.

With inputs from WAM