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Fairy tale ending for Sharjah book fair with 2.25 million visitors

Sharjah - It also smashed the world record for most authors (1,502) signing their books at one location.

Over 2.52 million visitors immersed themselves in the world of books over 11 days of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) that came to a close on Saturday night. The 38^th edition of the world's third-largest book fair saw 2,000 publishers from 81 countries. It also hosted its signature panel discussions by Nobel laureates, Booker Prize and Oscar winners, and celebrities.
It also smashed the world record for most authors (1,502) signing their books at one location.
Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), said: "The SIBF has been promoting the writings of authors and intellectuals from around the world for 38 years now. It offers our visitors a platform to meet and interact with prominent Arab and international cultural figures.
"Sharjah's cultural project was launched more than 40 years ago, and today has become a symbol by which our emirate is recognised in Arab and international circles. Our cultural role is reflected in the fact that the world's leading cultural honour of Unesco World Book Capital is carried by Sharjah this year. SIBF has grown to become one of the top three book fairs in the world, an event that publishers, authors, book lovers and children wait a whole year to participate in."
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com