WAM Sharjah, July 8th, 2012 (WAM) -- The management of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) announced that it has begun funding the translation of 78 books through the Translation Grant Fund. The titles were submitted by both Arab and international publishers.

The 78 titles, which met the eligibility criteria set for the grant, range from fiction to history, and include books for children and youngsters, among others.

The eligible titles were selected from among 200 books whose applications for translation were submitted for Translation Grant Fund, a Sharjah government-funded initiative at a value of 128,000 US dollars.

Ahmad Bin Rekadh Al Amri, Director of SIBF, said, "We are committed to the directives of H.H. Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, member of the Supreme Council and ruler of Sharjah, with regard to promoting Arab Islamic civilization and bridging cultural gaps with other communities. The selected titles include Arabic books, which are to be translated into other languages, including English, Turkish and French, in addition to books written in various other languages to be translated into Arabic".

The SIBF director said the launch of the Translation Grant Fund was a huge success as it would highlight the components of the Arab Islamic civilization and its rich cultural history to the world.

The fund was launched last year on the occasion of the 30th annual Sharjah Book Fair. The US $300,000 fund was launched with the aim of improving networking, religious understanding and promoting cross-cultural education.

Publishers who applied for the translation grant praised the efforts of the book fair's management for a well-organized event, which provided them with the opportunity to meet book lovers from all over the world.

The Sharjah International Book Fair's Translation Grant Fund offers a new and rich cultural experience that gains unprecedented interest at both private and official levels, as it provides funding assistance to Arab and foreign publishers for the translation of literary works and various titles into various languages.

WAM/AM