{
  "id": 19150831,
  "title": "Sharjah Book Fair: Crime fiction offers a window into history and social injustice, authors say",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/sharjah-book-fair-crime-fiction-offers-a-window-into-history-and",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-09T11:29:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/uae/people/sharjah-book-fair-crime-fiction-offers-a-window-into-history-and-social-injustice-authors-say-1.500741199"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Three celebrated novelists at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026) discussed how crime fiction can illuminate historical injustice, social inequality, and complex moral quandaries. British-Indian author Abir Mukherjee, Syrian novelist Islam Abu Shakir, and Emirati writer Adil Al Sumaiti addressed the audience during the session titled ‘Where Truth Ends and the Novel Begins’, moderated by Abdul Karim Hanif.\n\nMukherjee, who grew up in Scotland as the son of Indian immigrant parents, shared his fascination with exploring lesser-known historical events. His Wyndham and Banerjee detective series, set in colonial India, features a British police officer and his Indian sergeant investigating cases that shed light on British rule and the social hierarchies of the era. He sees detective stories as a means to educate readers while delivering an engaging mystery.\n\nCrime fiction, according to Mukherjee, is \"a great vehicle for social commentary\", enabling writers to tackle social divisions and moral complexities while keeping audiences captivated. His latest novel, The Pinnacle, set in Mumbai's film industry, delves into the stark contrast between wealth and poverty, as well as the influence of power dynamics.\n\nSyrian novelist Islam Abu Shakir emphasized that while real-life events provide the foundation for his stories, fiction requires a creative twist. He noted that \"every story requires a seed of reality\", but novels must maintain internal logic and artistic rules. Unlike the randomness of real life, a well-crafted novel follows its own artistic principles.\n\nAbu Shakir also shared his experience working with Dubai Police, where he trained officers to incorporate creative writing into their profession. This initiative resulted in the publication of four short-story collections. The Emirati writer highlighted the influence of Egyptian author Nabil Farouk, particularly the latter's use of cliffhangers to maintain readers' interest.",
  "summary": "Sharjah: Crime fiction can do more than entertain readers. It can shed light on historical injustice, social inequality and difficult moral questions, three novelists told audiences at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026). During a session titled ‘Where Truth Ends and the Novel Begins’, British-Indian author Abir Mukherjee, Syrian novelist Islam Abu Shakir and Emirati writer Adil…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}