Dubai: Highlighting the various new initiatives through which the International Publishers Association (IPA) is trying to sustainably level-up global publishing and empower its stakeholders as they rebuild in the post-pandemic era, Bodour Al Qasimi, IPA President, has engaged in key discussions with industry professionals representing diverse markets during the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) 2022.
Speaking at a session titled, ‘Taking stock: Where does global publishing go from here?’ organised by IPA for the Bologna BookPlus programme, Al Qasimi identified copyright, freedom to publish, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and technology and innovation as the ecosystem’s key priorities to strengthen global collaboration and solidarity between publishers. These priorities, she said, were set during the InSPIRE initiative’s workshops and symposium in January and February.
An ardent supporter of the African publishing community, Al Qasimi joined a discussion titled ‘Spotlight on Africa: Innovators of African publishing’, where she reiterated IPA’s continued support for the African markets, highlighting the importance of applying innovation to business models, strategies and skills in order to create an industry fit for the future.
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She also assured that African publishers will have IPA’s full support to promote local talent and publishing in native languages, underlining that doing so will not only invigorate and strengthen the industry’s value chain, but also make the African publishing sector a global contender in the industry.
