and pop-up libraries, Bibliobuses- books on wheels, cultural performances and talks by esteemed authors from around the world, poetry readings, installations, festivals, exhibitions and many more. The programme reached about 450.000 residents and visitors of all backgrounds. Sharjah 2019 Theme: Open Books, Open Minds The World Book Capital programme in 2019 was held in Sharjah, the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. The activities were developed under six pillars: Raise more awareness about books and reading Foster an environment of knowledge Unify communities Honouring heritage Empower children and youth Develop publishing industries The government along with non-government entities formed multiple activities such as poetry readings, singing and storytelling events in industrial workers accommodations. More than fifty libraries with books in Urdu, English and Tagalog were gifted to industrial workers. Book Fairs and campaigns were also part of the programme. The yearly International Book Fair is an 11-day international book fair held annually in Sharjah. During the fair “Give Your Book a New Life”, more than ten thousand books were available at symbolic prices to make reading affordable to people from every socioeconomic background. Also, a Book Donation Campaign was carried out, the “Kan Ya Ma Kan”, which translates to Once Upon Time. Another popular campaign that combined reading and outdoor activities, was the Sharjah Beach Library campaign. Beach libraries were installed in Sharjah, filled with books for all ages, in various languages. During the year, many public offerings were commissioned, such as the House of Wisdom. This new library and cultural centre combined traditional and digital resources of knowledge, information, interactive learning and contemporary pedagogy. The House of Wisdom provides free and open access to people of all ages and nationalities. It extends over 12,000 square metres and includes two floors of libraries with more than 105,000 books, discussion halls, indoors and outdoors reading areas, as well as an education space designed for children. The Sharjah World book Capital contributed with initiatives and conversations at international book fairs in London, Turin, Moscow, as well as in the LIBER International Book Fair in Madrid 2019. Kuala Lumpur 2020 Theme: KL Baca: Caring through Reading The World Book Capital 2020 was held in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Under the slogan KL BACA: Caring through Reading, the organising committee stated that “A city that reads is a city that cares.”. The activities were organised around 5 streams: The multiplicity of Reading,