You’ll rethink “home” after this Sharjah book club

House of Wisdom in Sharjah is launching a new Book Club season themed “Home.” It runs from November through January 2026, with a monthly discussion and a linked writing workshop. The picks span classical epic, memoir and modernist fiction, each probing what home means, who we are away from it, and why we return.

What’s new this season

The theme is tight and human: “Home.” Sessions unpack home as memory, identity and a place we circle back to. The programme runs for three months with a steady cadence of reading and writing.

• Theme: “Home,” focused on memory, identity and return
• Timeline: November to January 2026
• Format: monthly book discussion plus a creative writing workshop
• Focus: dialogue across cultures and generations

House of Wisdom frames reading as an ongoing exchange. Leadership notes that the season widens the conversation beyond a single book list to a shared human theme. The programme invites reflection on belonging and emotional connection within Sharjah’s broader vision of family and community.

The reading list: three ways to think about “home”

Three titles, three lenses: a journey back, a house rebuilt, a self-examined.

• November: The Odyssey by Homer
• December: House of Stone by Anthony Shadid
• January: Near to the Wild Heart by Clarice Lispector

The season opens with The Odyssey, tracing Odysseus on a long road back to Ithaca and a home defined by struggle and patience. December turns to House of Stone, where Anthony Shadid rebuilds a family home in Marjayoun and, with it, memory and belonging. January closes with Lispector’s Near to the Wild Heart, a stark look inward as Joana confronts solitude and meaning. Together, the list treats home as place, past and psyche.

How each session works

Each book session is paired with a writing workshop. The idea is simple: read, discuss, then write your own way into the theme.

• Group discussion led by HoW
• Writing workshop tied to the book’s ideas
• Emphasis on personal memory, identity and return
• Space to test ideas with peers

The workshops invite readers to turn reflection into output. In December, for instance, the House of Stone session brings a creative exercise on how place shapes personal history. The January workshop follows Lispector’s focus on inner life with writing prompts on solitude and self. It is a practical, low-barrier format to help readers move from analysis to voice.

Why this matters in the UAE right now

Sharjah has built a reputation for a serious reading culture, and November always feels like high season. If you want context and related picks, see our coverage around SIBF 2025 and reading tech in the UAE:

• Prefer digital libraries? Dubai Culture’s Digital Library
• Reading on devices? Start with our UAE buyer’s guide: Best Kindle for everyone in the UAE
• Our SIBF 2025 coverage, including headline sessions and guides Will Smith at SIBF 2025 and SIBF 2025 Thriller Festival highlights

House of Wisdom’s season dovetails with readers across the Emirates who split time between print, e-readers and library apps. The mix of classic text, modern memoir and introspective fiction gives enough variety for different tastes while keeping the through-line clear: home as a living idea.

Dates, location and how to join

The season runs November to January 2026 at House of Wisdom, Sharjah. Registration is available through the HoW website. Book early if you plan to join the workshops.   

• When: monthly from November to January 2026
• Where: House of Wisdom, Sharjah
• How: register via the official House of Wisdom page

This format keeps things manageable through winter. One book a month, one workshop a month, and room to reflect between sessions. It’s an easy commitment with a clear arc from journey, to place, to self.     

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