Sharjah: More than 1,500 publishers are expected to participate in the upcoming edition of Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2016), which will take place at Sharjah Expo Centre in November.
Ahmad Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), said, “SIBF would see a record number of publishers taking part in its 35th edition, with over 1,500 publishing houses, including 150 British publishers, and new publishing houses from the Philippines will have a strong presence. The expected record numbers build on last year’s success.”
SIBF 2016 will host a large number of the world’s top intellectuals, authors and thinkers who will enrich its various events. The Sharjah fair has become an international platform that brings together top literary figures and authors from all over the world to meet, network and exchange expertise.
“Eighty per cent of SIBF’s exhibition space has already been reserved, seven months before its launch. A total of 1,360 publishers participated in SIBF 2015, which drew 1.5 million visitors, with 30 per cent of them coming from outside the UAE,” Al Ameri told journalists on the sidelines of the London Book Fair (LBF 2016) — the world’s biggest publishing trade fair which concluded 10 days ago.
“Books in foreign languages, including Russian, African, Indian and Filipino among others, now constitute 48 per cent of the total books on display at the Sharjah fair, up from 10 per cent in the years before,” he added.
There are more than 750,000 Filipinos in the UAE, the reason why books in Filipino language are on demand at the Sharjah Book Fair.
Al Ameri said SBA will participate in the upcoming edition of the Palestinian Book Fair in the West Bank city of Ramallah for the first time.
He underlined the importance of the United Kingdom for the publishing market in the UAE as it is the largest marketplace for right negotiation between publishers, authors and copyright and translation agencies.
“The UK is the UAE’s strategic partner in terms of publications and books which are published in Britain; even if the book is written by an American author. It is also home to most international publishing houses specialised in educational books,” Al Ameri said.
He pointed out that SBA has always been participating in the London Book Fair for 10 years, thus enriching the presence of UK publishers in the Sharjah Book Fair. More than 150 British publishers participated in SIBF 2015, up from one or two publishers 10 years ago.
On censorship, Al Ameri said, “There is no book censorship at the Sharjah Book Fair. We work according to the vision of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who said: ‘We fight destructive ideologies with tolerance and openness.’
“Banning a book makes it popular and helps its writer promote his ideologies. People always look for banned books to read, and we do not want such books to be circulated.”
He pointed out that SBA follows the UAE’s policy of openness to other cultures as clearly manifested in coexistence and interfaith tolerance that prevail in the multinational community in the UAE.
Speaking about the importance of SIBF to Sharjah’s economy, Al Ameri said the total sales of books during SIBF 2015 were more than Dh40 million, a net profit of Dh20 million, apart from other economic revenues generated from hotel occupancy, flight tickets, marketing and others.
On SBA’s contribution to 2016, the Year of Reading, Al Ameri said, “Since the book fair was launched in 1982, Sharjah has been playing a central role in fostering a love of reading among the emirate’s residents as part of its cultural project launched by Dr Shaikh Sultan 40 years ago.
“Sharjah will remain a global beacon of culture that will defeat the ideologies of hate and exclusion and [promote] ideologies of enlightenment and openness and accepting the other,’ Al Ameri concluded.
SBA’s new agreements
New York University of Professional Studies
A cooperation agreement with New York University’s School of Professional Studies (NYUSPS) has been signed, informed Al Ameri, under which the school will provide a learning programme for Arab publishers with focus on key topics in the book publishing.
SBA seeks, through this programme, to enhance the skills of Arab publishers and develop their experiences through a semantic practical process and providing them with necessary guidance and advice that help them overcome challenges.
The programme, which is to be held on October 30, aims to enhance Arab publishers’ knowledge of publishing methods and best practices, specifically in the areas of international sales and negotiating international rights.
Featuring morning and afternoon sessions, it will use a lecture-and-discussion-based approach including case studies, small group work, scenario planning, and other interactive exercises, to engage the participants and provide faculty-supported opportunities for them to practise and apply their learning.
Publishers Weekly
SBA also signed an agreement with Publishers Weekly (PW), the world’s largest site for publishing, which publishes a weekly news magazine focused on the international book publishing business under the name Publishers Weekly.
Under the agreement, PW grants SBA an exclusive licence to publish a specified number of issues of the weekly magazine in Arabic for distribution in one or more Arab countries. SBA will be responsible for the preparation of all materials included in the magazine, and therefore, PW will grant SBA access to select portions of its content database to assist in this process. PW retains editorial control over the magazine, while SBA will have to furnish to PW the English version of the magazine at least 30 days prior to the scheduled publication date for its review and approval.
As per the agreement, SBA will publish one issue of the Publishers Weekly magazine in 2017, and two issues in 2018. The magazine will contain notices to the effect that the magazine is being published by SBA as licensee of PW, the owner of all trademarks and copyrights.
British Library
SBA has signed a twinship agreement with the British Library — the second largest library in the world — with a view to exchange expertise in archiving and library cataloguing standards. Ahmad Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), said the agreement will enhance cultural exchange between the UAE and the UK through the organising of joint exhibitions that will see Emirati manuscripts displayed at the British Library, and British manuscripts being showcased at Sharjah’s libraries. Intellectual and cultural events will be organised for Emirati writers in London, and similar events for British authors in Sharjah.
