With a team of 21 authors and 600 titles, the guest of honour at this year’s 12-day event is proving its literature didn’t end with the ancients

Sharjah, November 6, 2025

You may remember Greece for Plato, Homer and the myths that shaped Western thought but at this year’s Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), the mediterranean country of Moussaka and Alexander is rewriting the script. As the Guest of Honour at the 44th edition, Greece is bringing a contemporary, diverse literary voice to one of the world’s largest cultural gatherings.

Lille street-theatre troupe Moz Drums brings 18th-century elegance and modern rhythm to the UAE’s biggest cultural stage

Sharjah, November 6, 2025

The rhythms of 18th-century Europe met the pulse of the modern Gulf as Moz Drums – a French Baroque-inspired street theatre troupe – brought a burst of music, light and some comedy on the opening day of the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair 2025 (SIBF).

Dressed like 18th century noblemen in white tricorne hats and painted faces for a perfect masquerade party, the quartet of Rémy, Lucien, David, and Antony marched through the halls and lobbies of the Sharjah Expo Centre, venue of the 12-day annual festival – beating drums to a mix of contemporary rhythms and Baroque melodies inspired by the famous artistic style that originated in Europe in the early 17th century and lasted until the mid-18th century.

A hands-on learning project at the 44^th Sharjah International Book Fair teaches children how to make a robot that can act and think like a human

Sharjah, November 6, 2025

Young children turned robotic engineers as they crafted their own pet robots at a workshop titled “Build Your Own Robot” on the opening day of the 44^th Sharjah International Book Fair at Expo Centre Sharjah.

The simple project using DIY kits was envisioned and supervised by Dubai-based Junkbot Robotics; since junkbots are easy-to-build robots that one can make using a simple circuit and some recyclable materials, it was not merely a training in engineering but a lesson in sustainability too. Participating children were provided cardboard material, crayons, colour pencils, scissors, glue and coloured ice-lolly sticks to decorate their pet robot. The cardboard was shaped into a box and each child drew a face and coloured the boxy pet. They were then given a microbit each to stick on the box and function as the brain of the robot in hand.

Sharjah, November 6, 2025

The inaugural day of the Sharjah International Book Fair 2025 was filled with the irresistible aromas of the Mediterranean as the ‘Cookery Corner’ played host to a culinary masterclass with world-renowned Greek Chef, Alexandros Sperxos. In an immersive live demonstration, Chef Sperxos narrated a story of heritage, sustainability, and cultural connection, introducing a captivated audience to the authentic and modern flavours of Greece.