Open Books, Open Minds: Sharjah’s 2019 World Book Capital
Introduction
Imagine a city where people ask, “What do you read?” instead of “How are you?”
This is how my book, World Book Capital, starts. Growing up in Sharjah, I had always been surrounded by books. The city has been recognized for decades as a center of culture and enlightenment, with reading and books at its core. It was a natural step for us to bid for the UNESCO World Book Capital (WBC) title, and securing the nomination was a great accomplishment for all involved. With the conviction that culture is an essential factor in creating a healthy, happy, and balanced society, Sharjah was able to empower publishers, writers, thinkers, and intellectuals through this opportunity, both in the region and beyond. We are keen to share the lessons we learned along the way, while also recognizing the work we all still have ahead of us in our life-long mission to instill the love of books and reading in future generations.
Applying to Become World Book Capital
The World Book Capital title was aspirational in many ways. We believed that going through the experience of being World Book Capital would positively impact our relationship with books and reading, now and in the future. I’m glad to say that, looking back, we were right.
The process of getting to where we are today, however, was not easy. Our bid was actually rejected multiple times over a ten-year period, and although it was frustrating to review the bid so many times, it only strengthened our resolve. One of the main challenges we faced was the lack of information on best practices from former World Book Capitals, so when we started the bidding process, we had to learn by trial and error, and adapt accordingly until we secured the title. As a result, Sharjah’s intellectual scene flourished during this period, in large part due to the constructive feedback we received from UNESCO. The process was a steep learning curve but one which ultimately improved collaboration across many government departments and stakeholders in the city. So, regardless of the outcome of the bid, we succeeded in transforming and accelerating Sharjah’s cultural standing and commitment to books and reading.
The theme we chose for our World Book Capital bid was “Open Books, Open Minds.” This reflected Sharjah’s mission to build a deep-seated reading culture with a commitment to encouraging people from all walks of life to engage in diverse experiences, and with one another. It is a theme that also resonates with the current regional and international climate – I strongly believe that books are an ideal medium to foster cross-cultural and religious dialogue, and to cultivate empathy, tolerance, and acceptance. Reading has the unique ability to improve understanding and create empathy with others. We can all expand our horizons and our minds through the simple act of opening a book and encouraging others to do the same.
This theme became the central guiding philosophy and spirit of our bid, as Sharjah is, and has always been, an open city that gathers people from all walks of life. We strive every day to build a cultural infrastructure that attracts creatives from around the world to come and find a home for their projects in our city. Our love of culture, books, and literacy results from an emirate-wide cultural advancement strategy that began 50 years ago, when His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi became the ruler of Sharjah. He placed human development at the center of his governance strategy and believed that economic prosperity should not simply be measured in terms of GDP, but instead according to quality of life. As a result, cultural and educational projects proliferated in the emirate, touching the lives of all its residents and citizens. Even after our bid was accepted, we realized that designing and implementing a whole year full of activities involving everyone in the community is no small feat – there was certainly a lot going on behind the scenes. Often during the preparation or implementation phases of initiatives of this kind, there are some people who are tempted to give up when faced with seemingly impossible challenges, and often understandably so. Ultimately, what got us over any bumps in the road was a strong sense of teamwork – we supported and leaned on one another because, in the end, we all believed in what we were doing, not just for Sharjah, but for the wider region, too.
The same sense of resolve supported us when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, just when we were gearing up to conclude the World Book Capital year in April 2020 with a magnificent celebration. It is not hard to imagine the sense of confusion and loss we experienced as we tried to make sense of what was happening. We had to cancel our plans and try to improvise, much like everyone else around the world. But we got through it all, and we passed the baton to Kuala Lumpur, the 2020 World Book Capital, via a video message. Sharjah learned precious lessons from managing this situation, and as a result, we are now more adaptable and more agile, both as a community and as a government.
Our Goals and How We Achieved Them
Guided by the Open Books, Open Minds theme, we aimed to achieve six main goals through the 2019 World Book Capital activities and projects: to raise more awareness about books and reading; to foster an environment of knowledge; to unify communities; to honor our heritage; to empower children and youth; and to further develop the publishing industry. In line with our goals, we organized a plethora of exciting initiatives, and many of our regular cultural activities became part of the World Book Capital program. One of our programmed events was the Sharjah Beach Library, which successfully sent out the message that it is possible to combine a love of reading with outdoor activities, and was successful in engaging people of all ages. In addition, the Poetry Reading Festival shone a spotlight on a great Arabic tradition, especially combined with the Arabic Calligraphy exhibition.
Beyond individual events, our programming also included humanitarian initiatives. We donated 50 libraries to foreign workers in Sharjah, with book selections that included various languages. This was an initiative to provide joy and cultural advancement to those working in Sharjah, and a way of demonstrating our gratitude to all the people who have helped make Sharjah what it is today. Our cultural development efforts also extended beyond our borders as well. Both during the bidding process and during Sharjah’s time as World Book Capital, we helped restore the McMillan Memorial Library in Nairobi, for example, as well as the Beirut Library, which was destroyed in the August 2020 port explosion.
Of all the things we have achieved in the context of our special year, the one closest to my heart is the “Kan Yama Kan” Book Donation Program, which aims to provide high-quality books to children in areas that lack access to libraries as a result of natural conditions, unrest, and war. “Kan Yama Kan,” which means “Once upon a time,” is an expression used at the beginning of most children’s stories in Arabic. As part of Sharjah’s humanitarian and philanthropic efforts, we started organizing book donation campaigns across the country, and then delivered them to children in less fortunate areas around the globe. Our goal is for the books to serve as a source of knowledge and entertainment to children, in addition to providing psychological support.
Beyond 2019: Sharjah’s Legacy as a World Book Capital
We learned so many lessons during the World Book Capital year, but the most important one was that people still love books. There is a misguided idea that digital entertainment is taking people away from reading and books, and even though there might be some truth in that, we learned that if we create a fun environment for people to read, they will pick up a book and finish it. When we implemented creative ideas such as the Beach Library, they were an immediate hit with families and people from all backgrounds. We also learned that inclusivity, regardless of age, gender, profession, and nationality, is critical for strengthening communities. Sharjah’s World Book Capital journey touched everyone – from children, students, and tourists, to government employees and construction workers, and everyone in between. Through activities and book selections in multiple languages, the World Book Capital year helped deepen a sense of belonging to the community based on love for the written word.
Inspired by this sense of community and inclusivity that brought an entire city together in the context of the World Book Capital bid and programming, I was spurred on to write a children’s book on the subject. The book introduces children to all the cities that have been given the title of World Book Capital with the goal of emphasizing the importance of reading, and sheds light on different cultures, people, and ways of living. This is what books do – they allow for a deeper appreciation of each other as human beings and a greater understanding. Our motivation during Sharjah’s World Book Capital journey was, and will always be, to engage young readers and to open their eyes to the world and all its wonderful possibilities. Ultimately, one of my dreams is to see children asking their parents to take them to some of the World Book Capitals to visit the cities’ libraries, bookshops, and art galleries.
In the midst of our programming, just as we were thinking about the legacy the Wold Book Capital would leave in Sharjah, airstrikes destroyed the Samir Mansour Library, a two-decade-old bookstore in Gaza, which contained tens of thousands of books in several languages and served as a community center for the city. Inspired by Sharjah’s previous humanitarian efforts, I made the decision to donate all sale proceeds from the first edition of World Book Capital to rebuilding the library. Contributing to the rebuilding of the Samir Mansour Library is a reflection of Sharjah’s commitment to advancing literacy and community-building through books, not just in the emirate, but beyond our borders, too.
Three years after the end of Sharjah’s journey to become a UNESCO World Book Capital, there are a number of lessons we learned that we would like to share with the cities that are contending for the same title. Sharjah’s experience was unique due to the incredible diversity that characterizes the emirate. In navigating and leveraging that diversity, we learned certain best practices that can be replicated both regionally and globally. World Book Capital is an opportunity to reinforce a sense of community for everyone, but this can only be achieved through inclusivity. Think about every part of your community, everyone living in your city. As well as showcasing a city’s rich culture, World Book Capital is a chance to bring everyone together in creative ways to celebrate books, reading, and knowledge. Focus on groups in your community whose first language might be different, as well as children, especially those who are less fortunate and who may not have had the same privileges as others. Try to engage with those who may have never read a book for pleasure before. Although a challenging group to involve, motivating them to read is a very rewarding experience. The World Book Capital title is a prestigious award that recognizes a city’s efforts to promote a culture of reading, but perhaps more importantly, it serves as a catalyst for the future, as it reinforces the city’s commitment to developing its wider cultural infrastructure. This is precisely how we have felt in Sharjah since receiving the title. We aim to build on our legacy as a regional cultural hub, to create even more opportunities for cultural development with books and literacy at the heart of our agenda. I hope you will join us on our journey.
The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the author, and do not represent Fiker Institute.
