Stories on Display: Book Market Adds Intellectual Spark to Sharjah Heritage Days
Sharjah — February 14, 2026
At the 23rd edition of Sharjah Heritage Days, heritage is not confined to artifacts and performances. It lives in pages, ink and imagination.
Nestled near the main stage in the heart of the festival square, the Book Market — known locally as Souq Al-Katatib — has emerged as one of the event’s most evocative spaces. While visitors move between folk dances, traditional cuisine stalls and storytelling sessions, the marketplace offers a quieter yet equally powerful celebration of culture: the written word.
Held under this year’s theme, “Glow of Authenticity,” the market reflects how both tangible and intangible heritage intersect. Rows of wooden shelves, antique-style doors and softly glowing lanterns create an atmosphere reminiscent of the historic Warraqeen markets once known across the Arab world. The setting itself feels like a tribute to the scribes and scholars who shaped intellectual life centuries ago.
Participating publishing houses — including Qasimi Publications, Dar Sadiqat, Dar Qissa, Dar Aram, Dar Kalmun, Dar Al Dhaby, Dar Al Turath Al Shaabi, Dar Nabati, Dar Hind, Dar Bu Malha and Dar Ghaf — present a wide range of works spanning fiction, poetry, research, documentation and children’s literature. Their collective presence adds depth to the festival’s cultural landscape, transforming it into a living dialogue between generations.
A dedicated corner by Al Murooth Library draws particular attention, showcasing titles issued by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, including newly released books signed by their authors during sessions at Bait Al Naboodah. The signings have become intimate moments of exchange, where readers meet researchers and storytellers who preserve and reinterpret collective memory.
Beyond book sales, the marketplace nurtures language, stimulates imagination and reawakens the scents of memory — both ancient and contemporary. Children browse illustrated stories, teenagers discover novels and poetry, while adults explore scholarly works documenting oral traditions, customs and social history.
In a festival known for its music, crafts and performances, the Book Market quietly asserts that heritage is also an intellectual inheritance. Here, every volume seems to lean forward, inviting visitors into conversations that transcend time — proving that authenticity is not only performed, but written, read and carried forward, one page at a time.