Sharjah: The Sharjah Book Authority has opened nominations for the Sharjah International Book Fair Awards, which honor outstanding achievements in authorship and publishing, highlight Emirati and Arab talents, and support the presence of distinguished books both locally and internationally. The awards cover the fields of novels, studies, poetry, and foreign books, in addition to honoring local, Arab, and international publishing houses.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the fair’s awards are distributed across four main categories: the Sharjah Emirati Book Award, the Sharjah Award for Best Arabic Novel, the Sharjah Award for Best Foreign Book, and the Sharjah Award for Honoring Publishers. The awards cover publications from 2025 and 2026, with the exception of the category for Best Emirati Book in Creative Writing – Poetry, which allows nominations for publications from 2024, 2025, and 2026.

The Sharjah Award for Best Arabic Novel is worth AED 150,000, divided equally between the author and publisher. It honors Arabic novels that combine originality and innovation, offering a literary treatment of issues concerning humanity, society, and the Arab reality with a cohesive and creative vision.

The Sharjah Award for Best Foreign Book, with a total value of AED 100,000, is awarded to books published in English. It is divided equally between two categories: Best Foreign Fiction Book, which includes novels, short stories, and other works of fiction, and Best Foreign Non-Fiction Book, which recognizes serious intellectual, scholarly, and research-based works.

The Sharjah Publishing Recognition Award honors distinguished publishers who contribute to the development of the publishing industry with serious and knowledge-rich publications. This award, with a total value of AED 75,000, is distributed across three categories: Best Local Publishing House, Best Arab Publishing House, and Best Foreign Publishing House.