The Sharjah International Booksellers Conference 2025 closed on April 8 with renewed momentum across the global book trade. More than 750 delegates representing 92 countries gathered at Expo Centre Sharjah for the fourth edition of the annual event — organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) — to explore new retail approaches and worldwide market trends.
Sharjah Cements Its Role as a Global Knowledge Hub
Two days of keynotes, workshops, and cultural programming showcased booksellers as cultural ambassadors while examining how traditional book values can thrive through modern technology. Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, Chair of the Sharjah Book Authority, led the conference and continued to strengthen Sharjah's reputation as an international centre for literature and publishing.
Mansour Al Hassani, SBA's General Coordinator of Professional Conferences, highlighted the gathering's growing significance: "Every year our meeting creates essential relationships that strengthen booksellers' abilities to operate innovatively. These partnerships will deliver measurable improvements to global bookselling operations while continuing to establish Sharjah as an international cultural centre."
Omni-Channel Strategy Takes Centre Stage
Day 2 featured an inspiring presentation from Michael Busch, Managing Partner of Thalia Bücher GmbH — Europe's largest bookstore chain. Busch made the case for platform-based, omni-channel thinking, pointing to Thalia's own success across physical stores, e-commerce, e-books, and audiobooks as a blueprint for the industry.
His address reinforced a central theme running through the conference: booksellers who integrate digital channels without abandoning the physical experience are best positioned to grow.
Global Book Crawl Unites 5,000 Independent Stores
Federico Lang used the Sharjah stage to formally launch the Global Book Crawl, a worldwide initiative designed to unify independent bookstores through shared promotional campaigns. More than 5,000 bookshops across six continents will participate together on April 26, 2025 to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day — one of the most ambitious acts of solidarity in the independent bookselling world to date.
Diwan's Nadia Wassef on Building Cultural Spaces
Nadia Wassef, co-founder of Diwan in Cairo — one of the Arab world's most celebrated independent bookstore and cultural centre networks — addressed attendees at the Guernica Book Club session. Her speech traced how Diwan grew from a single bookstore into a broader cultural institution, offering a practical and personal case study for booksellers seeking to deepen community ties.
Looking Ahead
The 4th Sharjah International Booksellers Conference ended with participants carrying back concrete strategies, new partnerships, and a shared sense of direction for the year ahead. The event's continued growth — from a regional gathering to a truly global forum spanning 92 countries — reflects the Sharjah Book Authority's long-term investment in making the emirate the world's meeting point for the book trade.
