SHARJAH, UAE- Do you remember saving your pocket money to buy the next installment? Or borrowing a friend’s copy because you could not wait to find out what happened next? For many Egyptians and readers across the Arab world who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, such memories capture the excitement surrounding Rewayat Masreyya Lel Gēb (Egyptian Pocket Novels). Before smartphones and streaming platforms, these small paperbacks transported readers into worlds of secret missions, scientific discoveries and mysteries.
At the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026), Muhammad Shawala is bringing this reading culture back into focus with a collection featuring dozens of titles by Dr Nabil Farouk (1956–2020), alongside works by other popular writers.
“This is my first time participating in Sharjah International Book Fair, and I am delighted to bring these books to its readers,” says Shawala, who previously exhibited at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. “What makes this participation particularly special is seeing people recognise the books, remember the stories and share their memories with me.”
The publishing phenomenon behind the pocket novels
Launched in 1984 by publisher Hamdi Mostafa through Al-Moassasa Al-Arabia Al-Haditha, the Egyptian Pocket Novels project made original Arabic fiction accessible to young readers through affordable, portable books and serialised storytelling. Exchanged among friends and siblings, the novels became part of a shared reading culture.
Dr Nabil Farouk was among its most influential writers, captivating readers through Ragol Al Mostaheel (The Man of the Impossible), featuring intelligence officer Adham Sabry, and Malaf Al Mostakbal (The Future File), which explored scientific discoveries and futuristic possibilities.
Another celebrated writer, Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, introduced the unconventional doctor Refaat Ismail and his supernatural encounters in Ma Wara’a Al-Tabi’a (Beyond Nature). For some readers, the appeal was espionage; for others, it was the thrill of the unexplained.
“Were you an Adham Sabry reader, or did you prefer Refaat Ismail’s mysterious adventures?” Shawala joked with a visitor, recalling the friendly rivalries these stories once inspired.
When childhood memories return
For visitors, the familiar covers and characters evoke an era when a new paperback was something to anticipate, collect and share.
“A visitor passed by the booth and told me I took them back to the old days,” says Shawala. “It is more of a booth right now, something near to a spot where the older generation recalls the good old days.”
The collection is also finding a new generation of readers. According to Shawala, one visitor was so moved by the display that he decided to purchase the entire collection for his children. “He told me, ‘I am buying the whole collection to let my children read and taste great literature.’”
For younger visitors, the books offer an introduction to a distinctive chapter in modern Arabic popular fiction, while for those who grew up reading them, they remain a reminder of stories that have stayed with them for decades.
Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, SIBF 2026 runs until November 15 at Expo Centre Sharjah under the theme ‘Made of Stories’, featuring 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries and 1,500 cultural, creative and artistic events.
