Writers of Money Heist part of Spain’s Guest of Honour at SIBF

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Get ready to savour Spain’s writing, cuisine, art, and immerse in the unique facets of its contemporary cultural scene at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2021, which honours and celebrates the nation as Guest of Honour of its milestone 40th edition, taking place from November 3 – 13.

At the heart of the book fair, a special celebration of one of the richest and most vibrant cultures of Europe will unfold in a dedicated Spanish pavillion where the Guest of Honour will hold over 25 activities including literary discussions and book-reading sessions, culinary presentations, and cultural and musical performances showcasing the country’s biggest talents. Publishing professionals will have the opportunity to network with Spanish publishers attending SIBF 2021 to explore partnerships as well as translation and rights trading opportunities.

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Writers of the blockbuster Netflix series Money Heist (La Casa de Papel), Javier Gómez Santander and Diego Ávalos, who were the creative minds behind turning the TV drama into a worldwide phenomenon, will lead an exciting session titled ‘Content Creation’, detailing how to approach award-winning writing for the screen.

Rocío Bonilla (left), Diego Ávalos and Javier Gómez

Other famous award-winning Spanish authors who will present sessions at SIBF 2021 include: writer, scriptwriter and journalist Gabi Martínez, author of Los Mares de Wang and Voy; novelist and poet Irene Solá, whose works are being translated into 17 languages, including English, French, Dutch, Turkish and Arabic; Maite Mutuberria, author of Millones de pasos (Caminar y contar), Amaren Intxaurrak and Julio Soto Ezkurdia, among others; and author and illustrator of children's books including De qué color es un beso and The Highest Mountain of Books in the World, Rocío Bonilla.

Spain will showcase one its most celebrated baroque classical music ensembles, Forma Antiqua, led by Aarón Zapico, one of the most sought-after conductors in Spain. The award-winning troupe will perform the legendary La Caramba, based on the life of María Antonia Vallejo Fernández, the 18th-century tonadilla singer and dancer who was famously known as ‘La Caramba’.

Themed ‘There’s always a right book,’ the forthcoming 40th annual SIBF is organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) and will see the participation of 1,632 publishing houses from 83 countries. More than 15 million books including 110,000+ new titles which will be making their debut in SIBF will be accessible to book lovers throughout the 11-day celebration of literature, knowledge, and culture.

Irene Sola (left), Maite Mutuberria and Gabi Martínez

The upcoming Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2021), unveiling on November 3 in Expo Centre Sharjah, has announced an exciting literary presence from the Indian subcontinent, comprising award-winning authors, journalists and social media stars from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. 14 celebrity authors from these three nations will be among global personalities who will lead a range of literary debates and discussions during the 11-day book fair organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA).

Joining SIBF 2021 from India is popular essayist and award-winning author of several contemporary classics including Sea of Poppies and The Calcutta Chromosome, Amitav Ghosh.

Other Indian writers include Ravinder Singh, publisher, content creator and author of several bestselling works that have sold more than 3.5 million copies; Santhosh George Kulangara, publisher, entrepreneur and award-winning author in Malayalam; Pranay Lal, author of the award-winning Indica: A Deep Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent and environmentalist; award-winning screenplay writer and novelist P F Mathews; Manoj Kuroor, award-winning poet and lyricist; popular fiction writer and bestselling novelist Chetan Bhagat; veteran journalist and author Vir Sanghvi; Arfeen Khan, author of The Secret Millionaire Blueprint; Harsh Mariwala, author of Harsh Realities and An entrepreneur.

Representing a unique cross-cultural collaboration hatched by the internet, ‘Jordindian’ is an India-based entertainment company co-founded by YouTube stars Vineeth Kumar and Naser Al Azzeh. Their fun, family-friendly content and music will be showcased at SIBF 2021.

Along with this special ode to the largest expatriate diaspora of 3.42 million Indians in the UAE, the milestone edition of SIBF has also attracted literary talents from Pakistan and Sri Lanka.