Dubai: The Emirate of Sharjah has been named as World Book Capital for the year 2019, reported Jazirah.
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova made the announcement following a recommendation of the Advisory Committee which met at the Headquarters of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) at La Haye.
"I applaud the nomination of Sharjah as the World Book Capital as well as the efforts undertaken by the city in order to make reading available to as many people as possible, in particular the marginalized populations, as a motor for social inclusion, creativity and dialogue", Irina Bokova said, in a statement posted on the UNESCO website.
The city is promoting a programme under the slogan "Read - you are in Sharjah", focusing on six themes: inclusivity, reading, heritage, outreach, publishing and children.