Dubai: Emirates Literature Foundation in partnership with the General Secretariat of The Executive Council of Dubai, will host the first Dubai International Publishing Conference from March 5-6 during the UAE’s 2017 Month of Reading.

The Conference will be held alongside the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.

More than 30 international and regional experts will share information on practices and latest trends, and conduct masterclasses.

The conference will open with an introductory address from noted author Jeffrey Archer.

The event celebrates the goals of the National Reading Policy, launched in the United Arab Emirates in 2016, and is another step towards promoting the creative content of Arab writers and showcasing how the publishing industry can promote a reading culture.

Abdullah Abdul Rahman Al Shaibani, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai said: “Studies have shown that encouraging readership cannot be done independently without increasing the availability of literature and creative writing in the Arabic language specifically. The publishing industry and other similar entities such as editing, designing and the like, play a vital role in promoting this environment.”

He said that “raising the competitiveness of the publishing industry in the Arab world would lead to it becoming a competitor in modern publishing, e-publishing, audio publishing, and creating new platforms to reach readers.’

The two-day programme will explore many facets of the publishing industry, including digital trends, publishing strategies, the role of publisher associations and the National Media Council, as well as a look into the home-grown industry today.

Isobel Abulhoul, OBE, CEO and Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation and Director of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature reiterated the importance of the conference.

“This is the ideal environment for a growing industry to flourish. Literature and reading have become an integral focus of the UAE government’s strategies. In order to entice readers, a greater selection of reading material produced to an excellent standard will be of enormous benefit,” Abulhoul said.

“By encouraging a conversation between international and regional publishers, transfer of knowledge and best practices will be shared, and relevant strategies can be adopted by the regional publishing industry. International publishers can better understand how publishing and distribution works in this part of the world, enabling them to develop their skills more. The conference will provide students with the opportunity they need to know more about the publishing field and provide them with a stepping stone for a career in the industry.’