Culture and heritage were high on the agenda this week at the Moscow International Book Fair (4-8 September 2019) as the Emirate of Sharjah played a key role in the international literary event as official ‘Guest City’ and the first Arab city to carry this title, with Pulse 95 Radio presenter, AbdulKarim Hanif taking centre stage. The Pakistani radio presenter, who presents the Morning Majlisshow on weekdays from 7am-10am, was in Moscow to moderate a panel at the largest and oldest book forum in Russia and Eastern Europe. As part of the trip, AbdulKarim reported live on air to UAE listeners and recorded several in-depth reports.

In line with Sharjah’s efforts to promote Arab and Islamic culture worldwide through literature, music and art, Pulse 95 Radio, part of Sharjah Broadcasting Authority – travelled to Moscow to take part in the Sharjah stand and to experience first-hand the international buzz around the Emirate during the show. The Sharjah stand pulled in a huge crowd, giving visitors an authentic taste of Emirati culture and of the Emirate’s literary scene through engaging activations.

“It’s been a wonderful experience to represent the UAE, specifically Sharjah at the Moscow International Book Fair. We’ve met so many people interested in Emirati culture and heritage which has been a real focal point of our conversations here. Being able to introduce a whole new audience to Emirati literature has been a definite highlight for me. Our presence at the book fair has given both international and local visitors an insight into the Arab region’s deep cultural history – something we are very proud of. At Pulse 95 Radio we put culture and heritage in the spotlight as much as possible and try and get as many people as excited as we can. Truly international stories like this really help with our mission,”saidPulse 95 Radio presenter, AbdulKarim Hanif.  

Sharjah has a huge and growing presence in Moscow and has been an instrumental part of the major events at the book fair – like the publishing of fifty-nine first-edition Russian translations of books written by Emirati and Arab authors. Such initiatives will ensure that a wider audience of literature lovers can enjoy the works of many great Emirati poets and authors. During the book fair, the Gorky Moscow Art Theatre staged a theatrical work written by His Highness, Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah titled Nimrod which was attended by AbdulKarim Hanif and was a key theme of conversation on Pulse 95 Radio.

Sharjah’s extensive efforts around preserving heritage through promoting Emirati literature were recognized throughout the book fair by experts and were a huge talking point of the event. Excitement and attention garnered by Sharjah for these plans will have a hugely positive impact on the Emirate and in turn, on future plans around the advancement of local culture, literature and art to an international audience.