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Zanzibar doors, Swahili books: African stories in focus at Sharjah cultural festival
The Sharjah Festival of African Literature runs from January 14 to 18 at University City, bringing together writers, publishers, designers and performers from Africa
- PUBLISHED: Wed 14 Jan 2026, 6:28 PM
- By:
- Waad Barakat
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At 4:30pm on Tuesday, Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi officially opened the second edition of the Sharjah Festival of African Literature, transforming University City into a vibrant space of colour, sound, art and storytelling flowing in from across Africa.
The opening was marked by a Tanzanian band performing traditional music, setting the tone for a festival that places culture, literature and lived heritage at its centre. Sheikha Bodour toured the festival grounds, engaging with artists, writers and exhibitors as performances unfolded around her.
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Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the Sharjah Festival of African Literature runs from January 14 to 18 at University City, bringing together writers, publishers, designers and performers from Africa.
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One of the first stops was Kaiii Culture Crafted, a booth founded by South African creative Lukretia Booysen. The space features hand crafted wooden artworks alongside a perfume collection named after endangered South African words, an effort to preserve language through scent and storytelling.
Booysen said this was her first time participating in a cultural festival in the UAE, and her first visit to the country. She described the experience as a rare opportunity to share South African heritage with a new audience, adding that the response from visitors had been deeply encouraging.
Sharing the space was artist SK, who explained his glass artworks, pointing to how each piece carries intentional fractures. The white lines, he said, are not flaws but breaks that tell a story of pressure, resilience and transformation.
Books, language and Swahili readers
Books remain at the heart of the festival. Among the exhibitors was Mkuki na Nyota Publishers, represented by managing director Mkuki Mbgoya, who said this was his fifth time participating in events in the UAE.
Known for its Swahili publications, the publisher has built a loyal readership in the country. Mbgoya noted that there is a strong Swahili speaking community in the UAE, adding that even during major events like the Sharjah International Book Fair, readers actively seek out Swahili titles.
Zanzibar doors and cultural pathways
A key visual focus of the festival is the Zanzibar doors installation, which reflects the Swahili Coast’s role as a historic crossroads of trade and culture. Hand carved Zanzibar doors are considered living records of the region’s past, blending African, Arab and Indian influences developed over centuries of Indian Ocean exchange.
The installation introduces visitors to four traditional styles, Arab, Gujarat, Indian and Swahili. One featured door represents the Arab style, marked by a rectangular frame, bold carvings, geometric patterns and Quranic inscriptions, highlighting Zanzibar's historic ties with the Oman Sultanate.
Each doorway invites visitors to move through time, emphasising craftsmanship as a form of storytelling and preservation.
Fashion, poetry and shared dialogue
Throughout the festival grounds, bands from Zanzibar performed in traditional dress, while African fashion shows brought together African designers and Emirati creatives, offering contemporary interpretations of identity and heritage.
According to organisers, the daily programme includes panel discussions, poetry readings and book signings, alongside live cookery sessions that link food with history and narrative. The second edition places particular emphasis on East and Southern African literature, with a focus on Zanzibar, Ethiopia and South Africa.
University outreach sessions, children's workshops and a cultural market featuring handcrafted products and heritage inspired gifts further extend the festival’s reach beyond the main stage.
As Sharjah continues to position culture as a bridge between regions, the festival stands as a space where literature meets lived experience, and where African voices are not only read, but heard, seen and felt.
Waad Barakat is a Special Correspondent covering security topics, from law enforcement to local courts. With a keen eye for human interest stories, she hopes to blend it all with unique Gen Z-inspired content.
