Sharjah: The sixth edition of Focal Point, Sharjah Art Foundation’s annual art book fair, is set to take place from November 24 to 26, 2023, at Bait Obaid Al Shamsi, a heritage house in Sharjah’s historical district. The event will showcase a selection of printed material by more than 100 participants.
The 2023 edition, featuring artists’ presses, bookmakers, self-publishers, and non-commercial cultural producers, will encourage independent publishing as well as the central role of books as tools for social mobilization and the development of a just world.
Focal Point will further feature workshops on reading, libraries, and zine making, as well as activities exploring resources on Palestine and the significance of global liberation struggles.
During the fair, the Foundation will announce the recipients of the 2023 Publishing Grant. For this year’s grant, a total of $30,000, including publishing and distribution support, will be awarded to multiple grantees.
The sixth edition of the fair consists of three main sections: ‘International’ featuring works from art and independent publishers in the international art community; ‘Edit’ featuring curated publications and special interest books not distributed by local retailers; and ‘Local’ featuring publications from within the UAE’s arts community.
In the International Section, art and independent publishers from around the world showcase and distribute their books within the global publishing community.
In the Edit Section, Focal Point presents a curated selection of art journals, magazines, comics, and special interest books not distributed by local retailers and bookstores.
The Local Section spotlights books made by the UAE arts community, covering cultural institutions, galleries, publishers, and nonprofit government cultural entities, as well as printed matter, illustrations, zines, comics, photography, stationery, and screen-prints produced by independent artists and booths by local retailers.