Noticias

Bogotá, September 25, 2026. The Colombian Book Chamber (CCL), Corferias, and the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) officially announced that, for the first time, Sharjah, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, will be the Guest of Honor of the 39th edition of the Bogotá International Book Fair, FILBo, which will take place from April 20 to May 3, 2027. Sharjah will arrive in Bogotá with a showcase of its literature, publishing production, and cultural richness.

The Bogotá International Book Fair, FILBo, is a cultural, publishing, and professional space that brings together readers, authors, and the various actors in the book chain to foster encounter, dialogue, the circulation of ideas, and cultural exchange. Through its cultural and professional programming, FILBo connects Colombia with the world and strengthens the relationship between books, reading, culture, and the different voices that are part of this ecosystem.

The official announcement took place in the Bolívar Hall of the San Carlos Palace, headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, in a protocol act attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Colombia, allies from the public and private sectors, and the media.

The meeting featured the participation of Paola Holguín, Minister of Cultures, Arts, and Knowledge of Colombia; Elisa Mercedes Fuentes Mejía, Director of Economic, Social, and Environmental Affairs, acting in the duties of the Office of the Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs; Ahmed Al Ameri, CEO of Sharjah Book Authority; Andrea Victorino, Director of Reading and Libraries of the Secretariat of Culture, Recreation, and Sport, and of the District Network of Public Libraries - BibloRed; Emiro Aristizábal Álvarez, Executive President of the Colombian Book Chamber; Andrés López Valderrama, Executive President of Corferias; and Adriana Cecilia Ángel Forero, Director of FILBo.

Sharjah, for the First Time at FILBo

Sharjah's participation in FILBo has as a background an international track record in the promotion of books and reading. In 2019, the city of Sharjah was designated by UNESCO as World Book Capital, a recognition that highlighted a proposal that integrated reading initiatives, inclusion, heritage, childhood, and the development of the publishing industry.

This commitment is articulated, among other initiatives, through the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), created in 2014 and responsible for projects such as the Sharjah International Book Fair and the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival. The entity also promotes the development of the publishing industry and programs for cultural and knowledge exchange through books.

Sharjah's publishing ecosystem also includes Sharjah Publishing City, a specialized area for companies linked to publishing and printing, conceived as a space for the development of companies in this industry and their connection with international markets.

Translation constitutes another of the axes of its publishing strategy. Through different programs, the Sharjah Book Authority has promoted the translation and circulation of works between Arabic, English, and other languages, contributing to the exchange of authors and stories between different reading communities.

Sharjah and Bogotá: Two Territories United by Books

The arrival of Sharjah as Guest of Honor will allow FILBo 2027 to expand its conversations toward the Arab world and generate new spaces for cultural and professional exchange. During the Fair, visitors will be able to get closer to authors, works, and cultural expressions from the United Arab Emirates, while industry professionals will have the opportunity to strengthen connections with new markets and industry actors.

FILBo in Figures

The selection of Sharjah as Guest of Honor comes after an edition of FILBo that gathered 563,000 visitors during its 14 days of programming. In the professional component, during the two days of the International Business Hall, 1,285 business appointments were held, with a business expectation of USD 4,976,795, in addition to the participation of international delegates and six Fellows from Germany, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, India, and the Czech Republic.

The gathering also featured the participation of 30 international buyers from Germany, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, the United States, Estonia, Guatemala, India, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Czech Republic, and the Dominican Republic, expanding connection opportunities between the Colombian publishing industry and professionals from different markets.

With Sharjah as Guest of Honor, FILBo 2027 will open for the first time a space for encounter with literature and contemporary creation from the United Arab Emirates, while strengthening exchanges between the publishing ecosystem of Colombia, Latin America, and the Arab world.

Quotes from the Spokespersons

Ahmed Al Ameri, CEO of Sharjah Book Authority: The selection of Sharjah as the first Arab Guest of Honor in the history of the Bogotá International Book Fair recognizes the cultural relevance that the United Arab Emirates and Sharjah have built globally. This appointment is also based on the historical ties between the Arab world and Colombia, reflected in the Arab presence in highly successful novels such as One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez, as well as in Latin American literature that is read by millions of Arabs. “When we say today that Sharjah meets Bogotá, we are building on our shared knowledge and our deep cultural ties, recorded in books that help keep our relationship alive. Sharjah's cultural project is the result of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who has always placed books at the center of development, the preservation of knowledge, and connections between people. Her Highness Bodour Al Qasimi continues to expand the emirate's international cultural presence through partnerships and new opportunities for writers, publishers, and translators to reach new readers and markets.”

Paola Holguín, Minister of Cultures, Arts, and Knowledge of Colombia: “From the Ministry of Culture, we have always accompanied the Bogotá Book Fair, one of the most important cultural gatherings in Latin America, which for almost 40 years has brought together the entire publishing sector and readers, in addition to a rich cultural agenda and conversations that strengthen democracy and institutional governance (...) May this be an opportunity to think and rethink new ways of producing and circulating content, about how we translate efforts in promoting books and reading into a higher rate of books per inhabitant per year and greater comprehension; and a better connection with the world and markets.”

Elisa Fuentes Mejía, Director of Economic, Social, and Environmental Affairs, acting in the duties of the Office of the Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs, highlighted the value of Sharjah, a benchmark of Arab culture and literature, as Guest of Honor of FILBo 2027. Within the framework of this announcement, the Director extended Colombia's gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for its support in responding to the August 10 earthquake, recognizing the bonds of friendship and cooperation that have united us over 50 years of bilateral relations.

Andrea Victorino, Director of Reading and Libraries of the Secretariat of Culture, Recreation, and Sport, and of the District Network of Public Libraries - BibloRed: “The selection of Sharjah as Guest of Honor of the 39th Bogotá International Book Fair, FILBo, represents an opportunity to deepen the cultural exchange between Bogotá and this city, internationally recognized for its commitment to books, reading, and the promotion of the publishing industry. This designation arrives after an edition of FILBo in which Bogotá reaffirmed the importance of written culture as an engine of encounter, participation, and cultural exchange: in 2026, pavilion 5A ‘LEO: symphony of silence’ received nearly 50,000 visitors during the 14 days of the fair and hosted more than 100 activities. Added to this was FILBo City, with more than 60 activities in over 30 cultural spaces and public libraries, extending the fair's reach to different territories in Bogotá and setting the stage for the city to welcome the literature, publishing production, and cultural richness of Sharjah in 2027.”

Emiro Aristizábal, Executive President of the Colombian Book Chamber: “Sharjah's presence at FILBo represents an opportunity to strengthen the connection of the Colombian publishing industry with new actors, markets, and international circuits. This meeting will allow publishers, agents, translators, and authors to generate new relationships, explore collaboration opportunities, and expand the circulation of their works. We want this exchange to also be a gateway for Colombian books, authors, and content to find new readers and spaces of circulation in the Arab world and in other international markets.”

Andrés López Valderrama, Executive President of Corferias: “Bogotá is a city that receives the world through its great gatherings, and FILBo is one of the stages where that international vocation becomes visible. In 2027, Sharjah will allow us to build a bridge with a region with which we want to deepen our cultural and knowledge ties; each edition of FILBo allows us to expand the borders of the Fair and connect Colombia with new cultures, voices, and stories. The arrival of Sharjah will be an opportunity to continue making Corferias a meeting point for knowledge, culture, and international exchange.”

Adriana Ángel, Director of the Bogotá International Book Fair: “We want Sharjah's presence at FILBo to transcend books and be an opportunity to bring our visitors closer to new voices, traditions, and ways of understanding culture. Internationalization is one of FILBo's lines of action and a commitment to connect Colombia with other cultures and, at the same time, project our authors and their works toward new stages. In 2027, Sharjah will be a meeting point that will allow us to expand that dialogue between Colombia, Latin America, and the Arab world.”