Trevor Noah to appear at Sharjah International Book Fair

Trevor Noah has been announced as a guest speaker at the Sharjah International Book Fair.

The South African comedian and host of The Daily Show will be appearing at 9.30 pm on November 12 at the Expo Centre Sharjah, where the fair is taking place.

Noah will be reflecting on his experiences as a comedian, writer, television personality and commentator, at the talk. His 2016 autobiographical comedy book Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood will be available to buy at the fair, giving fans the chance to obtain signed copies.

Noah is no stranger to the UAE. The comedian first performed stand-up in Dubai in March 2014. A year later, he headlined the inaugural Dubai Comedy Festival. He has performed sold-out shows across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with his last appearance being at Yas Island in 2019.

Noah is among the dozens of leading global cultural figures taking part in the book fair, with others including Nobel Prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah, Jnanpith Award-winner Amitav Ghosh, Chaos of the Senses author Ahlam Mosteghanemi, Money Heist creator Alex Pina and The Pursuit of Happyness author Chris Gardner, all of whom are confirmed to appear in person at the fair.

Held under the theme "There is always a right book", the fair is one of the first in the region to reprise a focused in-person programme in the wake of the pandemic. It brings together more than 1,600 publishers from 83 countries and 15 million books. This year’s event is the largest since the fair was established in 1982.

The fair is also hosting more than 1,000 activities, including 440 cultural sessions, in addition to 355 shows, performances, seminars as well as workshops for children.