Sharjah: Publishers are going ‘Glocal’ to localise global trends and finding fast ways to deliver books to faraway markets, heard the Sharjah Publishers Conference on Sunday.
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), officially inaugurated the event’s 14th edition at Expo Centre Sharjah. The three-day Conference, organised by the SBA in collaboration with the International Publishers Association, precedes the 43rd Sharjah International Book Fair, set to begin on Wednesday.
The conference has drawn 1,065 publishers and literary agents, along with 74 speakers, from 108 countries.
The conference began with a speech by Sheikha Bodour, in which she said: “The Sharjah Publishers Conference embodies our commitment to fostering a global publishing community that champions cross-border cultural exchange and innovation. As publishing navigates many rapid, wide-ranging changes, our role is to ensure that new voices can be heard, and that the industry evolves with integrity and inclusiveness. Together, we can continue building a publishing landscape that unites people across borders and celebrates the diversity of human stories.”
‘Glocal’ trends
The opening day featured a conversation with Chantal Restivo-Alessi, Chief Digital Officer and CEO of International Foreign Language at HarperCollins Publishers, conducted by Porter Anderson of Publishing Perspectives magazine.
She discussed the evolving landscape of global publishing, explaining how many countries share similar genre interests, leading to a trend she calls “Glocal”, which highlights local adaptations of popular genres. Restivo-Alessi expressed optimism about attracting new and younger readers through specific genres. “Books have arguably become much more accessible than ever, allowing us to engage a broader audience. This accessibility is vital as we seek to draw in younger readers who may not have previously considered reading as a primary form of entertainment,” she added.
Quick deliveries
The first day of the conference featured a keynote speech by John Ingram, Chairman of Ingram Content Group and Chairman of Lightning Source, in conversation with Ed Nawotka, Senior Editor, International and Bookselling, Publishers Weekly. Ingram stressed the importance of accessibility in publishing, particularly for smaller-scale producers, and noted the need for timely delivery of works to consumers in today’s fast-paced market.
30 sessions
The Conference featured 30 interactive roundtable sessions on advancements in digital publishing, the growing audiobook market, and the impact of artificial intelligence on the industry. The workshops included topics such as global digital distribution, ways to combat piracy, in addition to direct-to-consumer sales strategies.
Sharjah Rights Connection Awards
During the first day of the conference, Sheikha Bodour and Ahmed Al Ameri, CEO of SBA, honoured the winners of the 3rd Sharjah Rights Connection Awards, which aims to celebrate exceptional efforts in supporting and developing the publishing rights and translation sector.
The “Professionals working within publishing houses buying and selling translation rights” category was won by Kalem Agency, Turkey, represented by Nermin Mollaoğlu, Founder and Head of the agency.
As for the “Independent professionals or those employed by agencies involved in buying and selling these rights” category, it went to Ahmed Bedeir, General Manager at Dar El Shorouk in Egypt.
After an acknowledgement, a Special Appreciation Award was awarded to Bassam Chebaro, Founder of Arab Scientific Publishers, who passed away in August.
An Appreciation Award was also given to Bill Kennedy, Founder and Director of Avicenna Partnership Ltd.
