Sharjah, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, will be the invited region at the 2020 edition of the Guadalajara International Book (FIL), considered the second largest literary fair in the world.
Sharjah covers 2,590 square kilometers and has a population of over 1,.4 million. It comprises the capital city of Sharjah, after which it is named, and other smaller towns such as Kalba’, Al Dhaid, Dibba Al-Hisn and Khor Fakkan.
“Sharjah is a a publishing powerhouse,” FIL President Raul Padilla said. “Its programs to develop reading are exemplary, above all regarding access to books for young people and the migrant population.”
The city of Sharjah was named World Book Capital for 2019 by UNESCO. The 2016 edition of QS Best Student Cities ranked Sharjah as the 68th best city in the world to be a university student.
Only 12 percent of the population of the United Arab Emirates are Emirati natives. The vast majority are immigrants, mostly from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
India is the guest country for the 2019 edition of FIL, which runs at Expo Guadalajara from November 30 to December 8.