SIBF 2025 will showcase poetry in eight global languages including Arabic, Urdu, Malayalam, Russian and Tagalog, connecting cultures through verse.
SHARJAH: The 44th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2025) is set to celebrate the world’s poetic traditions with multi-lingual poetry evenings featuring performances in Arabic, Greek, English, Urdu, Punjabi, Malayalam, Russian and Tagalog. Held from November 5 to 16, the event will welcome celebrated poets and spoken word artists to its iconic Poetry Café, offering a unique platform for cultural exchange and literary appreciation.
The Arabic segment includes notable names such as Saeed Al Mana from Saudi Arabia and Hamad Al-Buraidi from Qatar, while Greece, the Guest of Honour this year, will be represented by award-winning poet Danae Sioziou.
The English language programme features Canadian poet Saara Ali, known for her improvisational style. From India, K. Satchidanandan, a celebrated Malayalam and English poet, will also perform, adding rich regional nuance to the line-up.
Urdu poetry will take centre stage with an impressive array of voices including Dr. Zubair Farooq, the first Emirati to publish in Urdu, along with renowned satirists Popular Meeruthi, Rehman Khan, and Khalid Irfan, alongside Dr. Tahir Shahir and Ataul Haq Qasmi. The Punjabi language will be represented by Syed Suleman Gilani, known for his humorous and ghazal-based verse.
From Russia, Maxim Zamshev, editor of Literaturnaya Gazeta, and contemporary poet Mikhail Levantovskiy will bring Eastern European poetic traditions to the stage.
In the Tagalog segment, Filipino poet and novelist Luna Sicat Cleto will present traditional poetic forms such as the “tanaga,” reflecting the Philippines’ rich literary history.
The fair, organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, will feature 2,350 publishers from 118 countries and more than 250 authors and creatives from 66 nations, alongside 1,200+ cultural events over its 12-day run. SIBF 2025 is not just a book fair but a powerful showcase of global literature and poetic heritage, uniting cultures through shared human expression.
