Delegates to the 2023 Sharjah Publishers Conference hold one-on-one meetings ahead of the opening of the Sharjah International Book Fair. Image: Publishing Perspectives, Porter Anderson
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
See also:
Sharjah Announces 11th International Library Conference for November
UAE: Sharjah Signs Morocco as Its International Book Fair Guest of Honor
Deadline for Registration: August 30
With registration opened last week for its International Library Conference—which runs during the 43rd Sharjah International Book Fair in November—we have news today (July 15) from the United Arab Emirates that Sharjah Book Authority has opened registration for its 14th Publishers Conference, which is seated on November 3 to 5. The book fair itself—the largest in the region and the Arab world—this year runs November 6 to 17.
The 2023 edition of the public-facing book fair reportedly drew more than 1.2 million visitors, and this year’s guest of honor market at the fair is to be the Kingdom of Morocco.
And this announcement completes the advance messaging for the trifecta of major events that Sharjah produces in the latter part of each year under the direction of the Book Authority’s chairperson, the Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, and the Authority’s CEO, Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, with coordination led by Mansour Al Hassani, the director of publisher services for the Book Authority.
That trio of events—the Publishers Conference, the International Book Fair, and the Library Conference—form a reliable draw each year for many world book business traveling professionals who find it a place to meet familiar and new colleagues from both the Middle East and North Africa, as well as from a broadening range of markets in Asia, Europe, the Australasian markets and the Americas.
Bodour Al Qasimi
Last year’s evocation of the Publishers Conference gained a new asset, in that it adopted from the springtime Booksellers Conference a new format of workshops devised in one-hour increments by program consultant Emma House. This smart, effective format, which returned in May for the booksellers’ program, can be expected to be reiterated, so that the conference offers attendees not only plenary-session programming but also small-group focused professional symposia on specific topics.
Last year, the 13th edition of the Sharjah Publishers Conference drew its participants from 106 countries, organizers tell us, bolstering its growing reputation as an annual post-Frankfurt nexus of publishing rights trading, partnership discussions, and ample cross-market networking opportunities. A part of the offering includes the opportunity to engage in one-on-one meetings in a major trade-center format and to see the interlocking elements of the UAE’s third emirate’s reading and publishing culture.
Al Ameri: ‘Navigating the Complexities’
A presentation at the Sharjah Publishers Conference 2023. Image: Publishing Perspectives, Porter Anderson
In a comment on the opening of registration, Al Ameri is quoted, saying “The Publishers Conference is essential in navigating the complexities of knowledge production and the book industry.
Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri
“We aim to formulate solutions, build strategic partnerships, and ensure a resilient and sustainable future for publishing, which is crucial for the sector’s development and progress.
“The conference embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi to empower communities through knowledge, promote dialogue and cooperation, as well as respect for diversity. It also reflects the directives of Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi to amplify the publishing sector’s impact on societal advancement.”
And Al Hassani, whose organizational team prepares the program for the Publishers Conference each year, says, “The Publishers Conference has proven to deliver a substantial intellectual and technological boost to local and global publishing sectors.
Mansoor Al Hassani
“By convening key stakeholders, including publishers, literary agents, and experts, we facilitate a platform for collaboration and innovation.
“Participants will gain invaluable insights into industry advancements, hear firsthand accounts of successful ventures, and engage in rights trading and partnership agreements.
“This emphasis on professional development underscores the conference’s significance as a vital component of the publishing sector, providing attendees with the knowledge, skills, and connections necessary to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry.”
One of the signs of the growing success of the Publishers Conference has been the large number of editors, literary agents specialized in international rights, start-up entrepreneurs, and key publishing executives who have found and returned to the program, both for its professional interchanges and also for the memorably warm welcome that the Sharjah team provides each year.
With a chance to make excursions to Sharjah’s unique House of Wisdom library complex—as well as to Sharjah Publishing City free trade zone with its Ingram Content Group‘s two-year-old Lightning Source Sharjah print-on-demand installation—the program can become for newcomers an introduction to the breadth of commitment the UAE’s third emirate has made to developing itself as a literature-focused culture. Seeing reading and publishing as leading policy directives, Sheikh Sultan’s and the Sheikha Bodour’s market has become one of the best-known in the Arab world and a model of international publishing outreach and exchange.
With communication services provided by Tony Milliken and the Sharjah Book Authority, the Publishers Conference will again lead up to the opening of the international book fair, led by Sheikh Sultan. Information and registration for the conference—with a deadline of August 30—is here.
Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial CEO Núria Cabutí addresses the plenary opening session of the 2023 Sharjah Publishers Conference, in conversation onstage with Publishing Perspectives. Image: Publishing Perspectives, Porter Anderson
More from Publishing Perspectives on international book fairs and trade shows is here, more on Sharjah Book Authority and its programs is here, and more on the Sharjah International Book Fair is here.