Sharjah World Book Capital teams up with Kitab Sawti to offer free audiobooks

More than 2,500 Arabic and translated audio books are now available from authors such as Ibrahim Nasrallah, Dan Brown and Suzanne Collins

Kitab Sawti is one the region's leading audiobook platforms. NNCPR

Book lovers can now access thousands of Arabic audiobook titles for free.

As part of a partnership between Sharjah World Book Capital (SWBC) and the audiobook site Kitab Sawti, you can now sign up to the platform and receive a free three-month gold membership, allowing you to stream more than 2,500 titles. However, it's best to get in quick as the offer is only open to up to 5,000 people.

This deal is offered to both new and existing members of Kitab Sawti. The move is part of the Sharjah World Book Capital’s drive to support the regional publishing industry, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus.

“The exceptional circumstances facing the world due to the coronavirus pandemic have offered us an impetus to continue supporting the publishing sector, including publishers, entrepreneurs, authors and readers with innovative solutions,” said Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, head of the advisory committee of the SWBC.

“By investing in the options that audiobooks offer, we aim to target the largest segment of book lovers and provide a larger number of people access to an exceptional selection of books, which aligns with SWBC's vision to bring books and knowledge to all segments of society.”

This partnership is part of Sharjah's – which has long been viewed as one of the Arab world's great literary cities – broader support for the regional publishing industry. Last month, Sharjah Public libraries also offered free access to its digital library for three months. That offer is valid until the end of June 2020

What is Kitab Sawti?

The Swedish company is one of the largest Arabic audiobook online platforms and is home to nearly 3,000 titles, ranging from best-selling and award winning Arabic works to translations of books by international authors.

The site can be accessed from your computer or through a mobile phone app and offers two memberships. The free tier allows you to listen to selected titles. The gold status, which is offered in this partnership with SWBC, allows you to read exclusive Arabic best-sellers, have unlimited listening time, an offline mode and news of all new releases.

What books are available?

A solid selection of Arabic titles and professionally produced translations of foreign novels and non-fiction works are on the platform. When it comes to regional names, you can find bestsellers such as Abbas Mahmoud Al Akkad, Gamal Al Ghitani, Ibrahim Nasrallah and Ahmed Khaled Tawfiq.

As for translated works of English titles, there's favourites such as Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Stephen King's The Long Walk. There is also a healthy selection of self-help books by leading names of the genre, such as Tony Robbins, Malcolm Gladwell and Dale Carnegie.

How can I access my free gold membership?

It is relatively straightforward. Once you sign up to Kitab Sawti through your email or Facebook page, you can immediately upgrade to the gold membership by using the gift voucher code Sharjahwbc. After doing so, you will be notified of your new status and new world of audiobooks awaits you. More information is available at www.kitabsawti.com