Cat Stevens fans in the UAE have a rare date for the diary. Yusuf/Cat Stevens, the singer-songwriter behind Father and Son, Wild World and Peace Train, will appear at the Sharjah International Book Fair on Sunday, November 8, talking through his memoir Cat on the Road to Findout.
The session runs from 2pm to 3pm in the Intellectual Hall at Expo Centre Sharjah, with the singer in conversation with broadcaster Tom Urquhart, known to Dubai Eye 103.8 listeners. Organised by Motivate Media Group, it promises reflections on his music, faith, family life and humanitarian work, plus stories he has never told publicly before. Best of all, entry is free — you just need to register in advance at sibf.com.
Stevens rose to fame in the 1960s and became one of the defining voices of the following decade, selling more than 100 million records and clocking over four billion streams. His story is as compelling as the songs: a near-fatal tuberculosis diagnosis in the late 1960s set him on a search for meaning that led him to embrace Islam in 1977, after which he stepped back from music to focus on family, philanthropy and education, later championing peace and environmental causes.
If you want to come prepared, his memoir is available via booksarabia.com for Dhs145 — and it's worth picking up a copy, since it includes dozens of illustrations drawn by Stevens himself. Even if you can't make the talk, the Sharjah International Book Fair is a major event in the Emirates' cultural calendar and an easy day trip from Dubai, roughly a 30-40 minute drive away.
For travellers, this is the kind of free, once-off event that can anchor a short UAE break: pair the book fair with Sharjah's museums and heritage districts, and you've got a culture-heavy weekend that costs very little. Fans of 1970s folk rock won't want to miss it.
