Sharjah Literature Festival Concludes With Strong Public Turnout And Emirati Talent

The second Sharjah Literature Festival has ended with strong attendance, extensive public interaction and busy halls. Over a week, visitors joined poetry nights, seminars, performances and a book fair that highlighted 42 Emirati publishing houses, while activities promoted reading, dialogue and support for writers and creatives.

The 2026 edition gathered Emirati thinkers, writers, publishers, artists, creatives and media professionals in one programme. Events included cultural and artistic sessions, musical and theatre performances, workshops, reading circles and curated shopping spaces, offering audiences in Sharjah and across the UAE varied ways to engage with books and ideas.

The Sharjah Literature Festival took place under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. The event followed the guidance of H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and Honorary President of the Emirates Publishers Association and Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority.

The theme of the Sharjah Literature Festival, "A Community Woven by Tales", framed the programme’s direction. Organisers positioned the festival as a cultural initiative that strengthens Sharjah’s literary scene and backs the UAE’s role as a centre for regional and international cultural and creative activity linked to books and storytelling.

Rashid Al Kous, Executive Director of the Emirates Publishers Association, expressed appreciation for the second Sharjah Literature Festival and highlighted the outcomes. Al Kous thanked H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi for continuous backing of the publishing industry and Emirati literature, stressing the importance of this institutional support.

Al Kous said the Sharjah Literature Festival provides a platform that promotes reading habits, showcases new Emirati voices and helps publishers widen their readership. According to Al Kous, the diverse attendance showed the event’s increasing weight on Sharjah’s cultural calendar and its value for the local literary community.

Sharjah Literature Festival partnerships and long-term goals

During the Sharjah Literature Festival, Al Kous also acknowledged University City in Sharjah, the strategic partner for the event. The partnership offered venues and logistical support, enabling organisers to host parallel sessions and activities tailored to students, academics, families and general visitors from across the emirate.

The Sharjah Literature Festival aims to keep celebrating Emirati creativity and to uphold a space for writers, publishers and artists. Future editions seek to encourage intergenerational and intercultural dialogue, deepen public engagement with books and maintain Sharjah’s reputation as a key supporter of literature within the UAE and the wider region.

With inputs from WAM