Warsaw International Book Fair will spotlight Sharjah as Guest of Honour for its 2026 edition, positioning the emirate at the centre of a wide-ranging cultural and design-led programme. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the initiative brings together literature, visual culture, and performance under a unified curatorial framework.
Pavilion design and programme foreground cultural dialogue
Sharjah will present an extensive cultural programme at the Warsaw International Book Fair 2026, featuring 34 cultural activities and bringing together more than 35 writers and creatives from the UAE, alongside 15 Polish participants, as it takes the prestigious role of Guest of Honour (GoH).
The GoH programme at the 5th edition of the fair will run under the slogan “Two Civilisations. One Language of Letters”, featuring 29 sessions and five poetry evenings across the fair and the University of Warsaw, in addition to 14 musical performances.
Consequently, the pavilion becomes a spatial and visual expression of cultural exchange, where typography, language, and design intersect. Moreover, the slogan reflects a curatorial focus on the visual relationship between Arabic and Polish scripts, framing letters as shared cultural forms.
Cross-disciplinary programme links literature, art, and performance
Twenty-one cultural institutions are taking part, reflecting the breadth of the UAE’s cultural ecosystem and its links across literature, the arts, and intellectual discourse, while reinforcing Arab culture’s presence on one of Europe’s leading publishing platforms.
The Warsaw International Book Fair will host more than 1,200 activities, including author meetings, literary discussions, workshops, networking sessions, and book launches, offering a platform for professional and cultural engagement among participants from around the world.
Therefore, Sharjah’s contribution operates within a larger international framework, while maintaining a distinct regional identity. In addition, the programme includes panel discussions on theatre, poetry, and the Emirati novel, alongside performances by the Sharjah National Band, extending the experience beyond literature into sound and performance.
The artistic project “Tasawurat” (Visions) further integrates design into the programme, combining Arabic poetry with Poland’s poster art tradition. As a result, the initiative highlights how graphic design can function as a bridge between literary and visual culture.
Institutional presence underscores cultural infrastructure
A wide range of Emirati cultural and academic institutions are participating in the Sharjah pavilion, which spans 400 sqm. These include House of Wisdom, the Emirates Writers Union, and the Emirates Publishers Association, among others, presenting an integrated model of publishing, research, and education.
Additionally, initiatives focused on children’s literature, such as Kalimat Group and UAEBBY, contribute to a broader engagement strategy aimed at diverse audiences. Consequently, the pavilion functions as both an exhibition space and a platform for dialogue.
Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of SBA, said: “Under the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, culture and books serve as a shared space where societies connect and common values emerge. Through our participation as Guest of Honour at Warsaw International Book Fair, we aim to introduce Polish audiences to the richness of Emirati and Arab culture and to build lasting channels for dialogue and exchange.”
As the fair runs from May 28 to 31, Sharjah’s presence signals a strategic effort to expand cultural exchange through design, literature, and collaborative programming. Ultimately, the initiative reinforces the role of book fairs as multidisciplinary platforms where visual identity and intellectual discourse converge.