São Paulo – The emirate of Sharjah was honored on Thursday evening (2) at the opening ceremony of the 25th São Paulo International Book Biennial. Sharjah is this year’s guest of honor for the event. “Cultural exchange is the primary tool for enhancing ties [between countries]. These are relations which overcome the distance and which are lasting, because they bring out the best in each country,” said the CEO of the Sharjah Department of Government Relations, Fahim Al Qasimi, in his address at Anhembi Convention Center.
Qasimi is heading a numerous delegation from the emirate at the Biennial. During the Fair – which opened this Friday (3) and will continue until the 12th –, the emirate will present over 40 books translated from Arabic into Portuguese. It will also feature cultural activities including reading sessions with authors, folk music concert and handicraft workshops.
“Literature is the result of our experiences, converted into book form,” said Qasimi. He believes books overcome the distance between peoples. Sharjah is considered the cultural capital of the United Arab Emirates, and according to Qasimi, the country values its cultural relations with Brazil and other countries and intends to advance them further. “We want strong, true relatins,” he said.
The head of the Arab delegation heaped praise on Brazilian literature and said it has “left its mark in global literature.” “Brazilian literature has a special identity to it that’s recognized worldwide,” he asserted.
First time
Luís Antonio Torelli, the president of the Brazilian Book Chamber (CBL), which holds the Biennial, said Brazil’s publishing industry is undertaking international promotion actions in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil). “This is the time a Middle Eastern city is the Biennial’s guest of honor, he pointed out.
He also said that during the event, Sharjah will showcase its traditions and “all of its cultural heritage.” Torelli said the emirate has been named the 2019 World Book Capital by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and that it created the first free zone for the publishing industry.
He believes that having Sharjah join the Biennial “builds a connection with our readers and enhances the connection between our publishers.”
São Paulo mayor Bruno Covas was also in attendance. He said he hopes Sharjah’s being at the event will lead not only to increased Brazil-UAE exchange, but also to São Paulo-Sharjah ties, since both cities place great value and are home to numerous cultural facilities – like museums, theaters and movie theaters – and events, like exhibitions and biennial book fairs.
Brazil’s Culture minister Sérgio Sá Leitão closed the ceremony. “I would like to salute the entire delegation from Sharjah, which actively supports culture and creative economy, especially books,” he said.
Also in attendance were the president of Brazil’s National Fund for the Development of Education (FNDE), Sílvio de Sousa Pinheiro; the president of the Social Fund for Solidarity of the State of São Paulo and governor’s wife, Lúcia França; the director of the Regional Department of the Social Service of Commerce in São Paulo (SESC-SP), Danilo Santos de Miranda; Itaú Cultural director Eduardo Saron; Microsoft Brazil president Paula Bellizia; and Reed Exhibitions Alcântara Machado president Fernando Fischer; and UAE consul general to São Paulo Ibrahim Salem Alalawi.
Early on in the ceremony, singer-songwriter played a short set.
Currently in its 50th edition, the Biennial spans 75,000 sqm, 1,500 hours-worth of cultural events, over 300 authors and 14 different areas or “thematic sections.”
Quick facts
Sharjah at the 25th São Paulo International Book Biennial
August 3 to 12, 2018
Anhembi Convention Center, stand G030 – Avenida Olavo Fontoura, 1.209 – Santana – São Paulo/SP
Find out more: www.bienaldolivrosp.com.br
Schedule of the Sharjah stand:
(events featuring Arab specialists, authors and artists)
Saturday, August 4
10am-11am – Poetry Reading
11am-12 pm – The UAE publishing market’s success around the world – a panel on developing shared publishing ethics across several countries
12:30pm-1pm, 2:20pm-2:50pm and 4:15pm-4:45pm – Music from the Soul – An Arab music concert by a lute player
1:15pm-2:15pm – Current Prose Seminar – A discussion on the success of the novel genre
3pm-4pm – Folk Tales – A panel on tales, their role and impact in UAE society, including a tale journey
Sunday, August 5
11am-12pm – Panel on translation and e-books
12:15pm-12:45pm – Music from the Soul – An Arab music concert by a lute player
1pm-2pm – Literary Session – A discussion on the benefits of writing
2pm-3pm – 1001 Titles – Presentation on a project designed to encourage original content production by publishers in the UAE, and a comparison of the fiction book markets in Brazil and the UAE
4pm-6pm – Mask-Making Workshop – A two-hour workshop where children will learn traditional UAE weaving from local artisans
6:15pm-7:15pm – Imagine Books – A discussion of illustrations that straddle the language barrier and the role of illustrated books, especially in the lives of refugee children
Monday, August 6
10am-11am – Mirrors of Time – A session on the connection between literature and the cultural and historical heritage of civilizations
11:15am-11:45 am / 1:30pm-2pm – / 4:30pm-5pm – Music from the Soul – An Arab music concert by a lute player
12pm-1pm – Joint Publishing – A discussion on the Brazil-UAE publishing market connection
3pm-4pm – Knowledge Without Borders – A presentation of a government project that saw books distributed to over 42,000 families in Sharjah
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
