Sharjah World Book Capital Calls on Young Arab Poets and Authors to Contribute to Sharjah Anthology: Lungs of the Sea

Sharjah World Book Capital Office (SWBC Office) is opening the door to Arab writers and poets to contribute to a contemporary Arabic language anthology, Lungs of the Sea. The works selected for the anthology will include a mix of emerging writers in the Arab world and well-known names in modern Arabic literature. 

This unique project is part of Sharjah World Book Capital 2019 celebrations, and in keeping with Sharjah’s cultural vision to support and promote contemporary Arabic language writers. 

Nominated literary works of prose and poetry will be selected by an editorial committee composed of an elite group of critics and authors appointed by the SWBC Office. 

To give a chance to the youth, the editorial committee stipulates that this contribution is open to writers who were born after 1980, they should have at least one published book, and the work should be written in standard Arabic.

Applicants must send their files in MS Word format, in Arial font size 14, with a maximum word count of 5,000, the writer’s passport copy and biography mentioning the date and place of birth; place of residence; occupation; literary publications; awards and nominations, if any; as well as a high-resolution photo for publication should be annexed to the application. All files should be sent in a single email with the writer’s full name and home country as the email subject line, no later than November 30, 2019, to publications@sharjahwbc.com. 

The names of writers who have been selected for inclusion in the book will be published by SWBC on its social media accounts. The anthology will be published and distributed during the closing ceremony of Sharjah World Book Capital to be held in April 23, 2020.

The World Book Capital’s international committee at UNESCO named Sharjah the World Book Capital 2019 in appreciation of its vital role in supporting books and promoting reading. The year-long celebration programme was inaugurated on 23 April 2019. Since 2001, the committee, which comprises representatives from the International Publishers Association (IPA) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), receives and evaluates entries submitted by cities to select the World Book Capital City for a one-year period.