Revealed: Finalists for first-ever 'Sharjah Rights Connection Awards'
33 applications received from 14 countries for two categories of the international award
Frankfurt: In the presence of Bodour Al Qasimi, International Publishers Association (IPA) President, the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has announced the shortlisted nominees for the debut edition of the Sharjah Rights Connection Awards, launched earlier this year to honour the leading contributions of rights professionals in promoting the global publishing industry.
Thirty-three applications were received from 14 countries in the two categories of the award. The nominations in the first category of an individual professional selling translation rights at a publishing company are:
● Elle Brenton-Rounding, Bonnier Books UK LTD, UK
● Gabriel Nieto, Editorial Planeta, Mexico
● Ahmed Mohamed Mohamed Rashad, Al Dar Al Masriah Al Lubnaniah, Egypt
The selected nominees in the second category of independent professionals or those working with specialised agencies to sell the rights to books publishers and other licensors are:
● Benas Berantas, Book Smugglers Agency, Lithuania
● Aoife Lennon-Ritchie, The Lennon-Ritchie Agency, South Africa
● Mauro Spagnol, Books-Everywhere, UK
The shortlist was announced at a reception dinner on the side-lines of Frankfurter Buchmesse 2022.
SBA Chairman Ahmed Al Ameri said: “Over the past decade, SBA has been proud to put rights trading at the centre of our activities as a fitting reflection of its role at the core of the publishing industry. Protection of copyright and related rights of creators is vital to disseminate knowledge and ensure the sustainability of the global publishing industry, and we are delighted to turn the spotlight on their leading contributions through the new Sharjah Rights Connection Award.”
Al Ameri added that the awards offer a forward momentum to Sharjah’s successful 40-year journey to add value to strengthening cross-cultural dialogue and knowledge exchange, in line with the vision and directives of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.
Mansour Al Hassani, director of Publisher’s Services at SBA, said: “The award had received 33 applications from 14 countries in the two categories of the award, with the highest number of applications from Egypt, India and the UK.”
He added that entries were also received from the UAE, Albania, Argentina, Argentina, Canada, Finland, Germany, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, and South Africa.
Winners will be revealed on the concluding day of the SIBF Publishers Conference, which takes place from October 30 to November 1, in the lead up to Sharjah International Book Fair 2022 on November 2 at Expo Centre Sharjah.