Children aged six to 18 saw their work take centre stage at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, which provided a platform for young writers to become published authors and celebrate their achievements
Sharjah, November 15, 2025
A total of 110 books by young authors aged six to 18 were launched at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026), as Learner Circle celebrated the achievements of aspiring writers who transformed their ideas into published works. The initiative highlighted the fair’s role in providing a platform for emerging literary talent, giving children an opportunity to present their stories to readers and celebrate their accomplishments on a major international cultural stage.
Held on November 14 at SIBF’s Main Stage, the launch ceremony brought together young writers whose works had been developed and published through Learner Circle, a youth publishing platform dedicated to nurturing children’s creativity and writing skills. Winners of the organisation’s ‘Writathon 15.0 – Sharjah Edition’ were honoured during the ceremony, while participating young writers were also recognised with certificates and trophies.
Turning young imaginations into published books
Learner Circle guided children through the publishing process, helping them develop story ideas, write manuscripts and prepare their work for publication. With support from experienced mentors, the young authors learnt about story structure, editing, illustration and the different stages involved in bringing a book to readers.
The initiative gave children an opportunity to experience the journey from developing an idea to seeing their names on published books, while SIBF provided a platform to showcase their achievements to a wider audience.
For Shankar, Co-Founder of Learner Circle, encouraging independent thought and creativity was an important objective, particularly as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly prevalent in content creation. “In a world ridden with AI-generated content, independent thought has become scarce. We want to encourage our children to think for themselves and build their imagination,” he said.
Learner Circle’s participation at SIBF 2026 marked a further milestone for the organisation, which had launched more than 70 publications at the previous edition of the fair.
Deepika, a Learner Circle representative, highlighted the significance of introducing young children to authorship and supporting their creative development. “Some of our youngest authors are only six years old, and they published multiple books with us. We aim to see our writers grow their creativity,” she said.
Young writers recognised for their creativity
The ceremony also celebrated the winners of ‘Writathon 15.0 – Sharjah Edition’, a creative writing competition that had invited young participants to submit their stories by early October.
Layla Houchaimi won first prize for My Everything, an emotional story about a mother and her child.
“My friend told me that I must write a story with a mother and daughter, regardless of the genre,” she said. “I just tried this competition out since I’m a writer, and I am surprised but very happy that I won!”
The runners-up were Jeanne Sara Joe, for The Correction, and Dakshith Karthikeyan, for Anax.
The remainder of the ceremony was dedicated to celebrating the young authors and presenting their newly published works. Learner Circle’s publications spanned short stories, poetry and comics, reflecting the variety of creative interests among its participants.
Through the launch and awards ceremony, SIBF 2026 provided young writers with an opportunity to share their work beyond the classroom, connect with the wider literary community and experience the recognition that comes with becoming a published author.
Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026) was held from November 4 to 15 at Expo Centre Sharjah under the theme ‘Made of Stories’, with the Sultanate of Oman as Guest of Honour. The fair brought together 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries, showcasing more than 1.7 million titles. Its programme featured 1,500 cultural, creative and artistic events, with 106 guests from 25 countries.
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