Three Ghanaian authors to represent country at Sharjah International Book Fair

Three Ghanaian authors, Oswald Okaitei, Elizabeth-Irene Baitie and Ruby Goka, will represent Ghana at the 2026 Sharjah International Book Fair in the United Arab Emirates.

The Consulate of Ghana in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, with sponsorship from BOST Energies, is leading the country’s participation in the fair, which runs from 4 to 15 November 2026.

The participation marks Ghana’s first official appearance at the fair and is a step towards attracting investment, creating opportunities and building networks for the Ghanaian book industry.

It also provides a platform to showcase the works of Ghanaian creative writers and connect local authors with the international literary community attending the fair in Sharjah.

Selected for the initiative are three Ghanaian authors who have established themselves in the literary field: Ruby Goka, Elizabeth-Irene Baitie and Oswald Okaitei.

The trio, who previously represented Ghana at Storymoja, one of Africa’s biggest and most prestigious literary festivals in Kenya, are expected to exhibit their works alongside those of other Ghanaian authors, participate in sessions at the fair and host a special Ghana Book Reading session at a selected venue in Sharjah.

Elizabeth-Irene Baitie is a multiple award-winning Ghanaian author of eight published novels for children and young adults. Her work has been published in Ghana, Nigeria, the USA, the UK, Italy and Brazil, with a Japanese edition forthcoming. Her stories bring Ghana vividly to life for a global readership.

Her first children’s book, A Saint in Brown Sandals, won the Macmillan Writer’s Prize for Africa. She won first prize in the Burt Award for African Literature for both The Twelfth Heart and The Dorm Challenge, with further Burt Award recognition for Rattling in the Closet and The Lion’s Whisper.

Her middle-grade novels Crossing the Stream and Flying Up the Mountain both earned starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and received Children’s Africana Book Award honours in 2022 and 2024, respectively.

Oswald Okaitei is a Ghanaian poet, spoken-word artiste, playwright, storyteller and literary activist. His creative journey began in childhood, when he featured on Ghana’s popular children’s storytelling programme, By the Fireside.

He is known for his thought-provoking poetry, dramatic performances and works that explore African identity, Pan-Africanism, history, social justice and cultural heritage.

His literary works include A Wreath to Awoonor, In the Bag of a Woman and Mandela: The Soul of His Earth. Okaitei has represented Ghana at international literary festivals and continues to champion reading culture, literary development and the promotion of Ghanaian literature.

Through his creative expression and advocacy, he uses literature as an instrument for cultural preservation, social transformation and national consciousness.

The Ghana Book booth at the fair is located at Pavilion 6, Booths 023-024. It will exhibit literary works from Ghana and by Ghanaian authors and publishers.