Sharjah clears 167 titles under publishing, translation support programmes in 2025

The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has announced the approval of 167 new titles under its specialised publishing and translation support programmes in 2025.

The approved titles were selected from a total of 2,478 submissions received within four months since registration was open. These include 99 titles under the Translation Grant, 20 through the Sharjah Publishing Sustainability Fund (Onshur), and 48 titles directly supported by the SBA. The step demonstrates Sharjah’s continued commitment to fostering translation, publishing, and knowledge exchange between Arabic and other global languages.

These selected titles further SBA’s achievements, raising the total number of approved titles to 2,405 across various fields and languages since the initiative’s launch in 2011.

These initiatives represent a cornerstone of SBA’s strategy to support publishers, translators, and authors worldwide, creating an enabling environment for intellectual creativity and accelerating bilateral translation between Arabic and other languages. This contributes to expanding the presence of Arabic literature in global markets, while offering readers access to diverse human and intellectual experiences in multiple languages.

Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of the SBA, said, "In Sharjah, under the leadership of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, we believe that translation is a vital communication tool for connecting people and fostering understanding and being open to other cultures.

"This belief drives us to continue growing our support for exceptional cultural and intellectual content through specialised programmes. At the forefront of these is our Translation Grant, which is given to titles worthy of global readership, in order to promote Arabic creativity to the world, while making international achievements accessible to Arab readers in their native language."

Al Ameri added that under the directives of Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority, the authority is committed to expanding its support programmes through initiatives that celebrate the most significant literary and intellectual works from around the world.

Mansour Al Hassani, Director of Publishing Services at SBA, commented, "The number of submitted applications this year is a clear indicator of the growing trust that global publishers place in our programmes. It reflects their recognition of the tangible value we bring to the translation and publishing sectors, not only in the UAE and the Arab world but globally."

The SBA launched its Translation Grant in 2011 to support publishers worldwide in translating distinguished books into multiple languages. The grant offers up to $4,000 for general books and $1,500 for children’s books, with special grants of up to $250,000 for translations from or into Arabic.

The criteria include a formal translation contract, details of the translator, and copies of the final published edition. Eligible works include novels, biographies, cookbooks, poetry, and children’s literature, given that they are under copyright protection.

The Sharjah Publishing Sustainability Fund (Onshur) aims to strengthen the publishing industry in the UAE by offering comprehensive support tailored to publishers’ needs. The fund supports publishers’ sustainability and growth, and boosts their journey into enriching the cultural landscape in the UAE through three core tracks, namely: Launch, Scale, and Disrupt.

WAM