“This festival is a lovely learning curve, not just for people from outside Africa, but also for Africans themselves,” said James Odhiambo, CEO of Kenya Publishers Association, an umbrella organisation of 158 publishers. “For example, I realised through my interactions at the festival that Ethiopian writing styles and stories are quite different from their counterparts in Swahili language. We normally don’t meet and now we can interact at the festival here in Sharjah.”
Odhiambo added that he was exploring opportunities of translating some works into Arabic through potential collaborations at SFAL 2026. “African and Arab works have some commonalities; Swahili and Arabic are intertwined, sharing many words,” he said.
‘This is how culture travels’
Mkuki Bgoya, Managing Director of Mkuki na Nyota Publishers from Tanzania, said the festival is “a welcome initiative because African literature is often overlooked by others”. He added that many African authors’ works are published outside Africa. “This festival allows them to be present and get authentic stories and voices to communicate with Arab publishers, trade in translation rights. This is how culture travels; how you see yourself in others and how others see themselves in you.”
Ditiro Huma, Director of Mosala Masedi Publishers and Booksellers from Johannesburg, South Africa, said: “This festival allows us to exchange culture and heritage; learn how the education system and literature sector works in the UAE. There is a lot of potential to build synergies between South Africa and UAE. And very few festivals offer a chance where you’re learning Arabic while hearing Ethiopian and enjoying different African cuisines.”
Tirhas Haile, Early Childhood Development Director at Whiz Kids Workshop, a bookseller from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, said SFAL provides “a great stage” for her plans to have Amharic works translated into Arabic. “The festival connects you with other publishers and writers from different parts of Africa and the world. It’s a chance to show your work, connect and collaborate.”
Under the theme ‘The African Way’, SFAL 2026 is taking place from January 14 to 18 at University City Hall Square in Sharjah.
About the Author
