SHARJAH, UAE- What would you ask your favourite author if you could travel back in time and meet them? At the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026), visitors are getting the chance to find out, thanks to an AI-powered photo booth that lets them have conversations with literary figures from the past and capture the experience in a photograph.
Developed as an interactive experience by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), the booth allows visitors to speak with AI recreations of celebrated writers and poets, including American novelist Edith Wharton, Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawqi and Lebanese-American writer Khalil Gibran.
Participants are given four minutes with their chosen literary figure, including two minutes for a simulated phone conversation and another two minutes to pose for a photograph, which they can take home as a keepsake. The experience is free and will be available throughout the fair until November 15.
Ivan, the booth’s designer, explained that the initiative was developed at SBA’s request to give readers an opportunity to connect with literary figures they have long admired.
“This photobooth was initiated by the Sharjah Book Authority to allow visitors to have a phone call with their favourite authors and poets,” he said.
The experience is designed to make literature more personal and interactive, allowing visitors to ask questions of AI-generated representations of writers whose works they may have known for years but could never have met.
A young reader meets his favourite poet
Among those drawn to the booth was Mahmoud, a student from Sharjah who chose to meet Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawqi, whose poetry he has long admired.
“I have loved reading poems by Ahmed Shawqi, and I have yearned to meet him for a very long time. I am so elated that I finally was able to do that this year,” Mahmoud said.
During his conversation with the AI recreation, Mahmoud asked about Shawqi’s writing process and the methods he used to compose his poetry.
“I can’t wait to tell all my friends and family about this event. I am thrilled to show them my picture with Ahmed Shawqi and tell them to come and experience the booth themselves,” he added.
More than 150 visitors on opening day
The attraction drew more than 150 participants on the fair’s opening day, according to Amro, one of the collaborators involved in the experience.
Amro said the booth had quickly gained popularity through word of mouth, with visitors sharing their experiences and encouraging friends to try it.
“All of the people that have come to the booth have had an unforgettable four minutes with their desired author, along with a photographic keepsake to remember the interaction,” he said.
He added that visitors could choose their preferred literary figure, spend two minutes speaking with the AI recreation and another two minutes posing for a photograph.
By allowing readers to engage with digital recreations of authors and poets, the initiative offers an unusual way to explore literary history, turning familiar names from the pages of books into interactive encounters.
The photo booth is among the interactive experiences at SIBF 2026, which brings together literature, creativity and technology under this year’s theme, ‘Made of Stories’.
Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair is being held at Expo Centre Sharjah from November 4 to 15, 2026. The 12-day event hosts 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries, showcasing more than 1.7 million titles.
