Challenges facing publishers to be discussed

Publishers meeting to be held ahead of Sharjah Book Fair

Leading publishers will discuss the challenges facing the publishing sector at the ‘11th Publishers Conference’ from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 at Expo Centre Sharjah.

The conference comes ahead of the ‘40th Sharjah International Book Fair’ that starts on Nov. 3 at the same venue.

More than 530 publishing professionals and agents, and 35 speakers will take part in the conference, to be held in partnership with the International Publishing Association (IPA), the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) announced yesterday.

The three-day conference will host eight panel discussions on the key issues and challenges facing the publishing sector in the region and around the world.

A highlight of the conference will be a keynote address by IPA President Bodour Al Qasimi on the first day, in which she will recount IPA’s success over the past 125 years in supporting the industry and its stakeholders worldwide, and also share IPA’s future plans.

A key session on the application process for the $300,000 SIBF Translation Grant (worth around Dh1.1 million) will be a highlight of the inaugural day’s proceedings. It will be available exclusively to the conference’s participants.

‘Matchmaking’ sessions

The popular ‘Matchmaking’ sessions will be held on all three days of the conference to discuss buying and selling of rights and strike new deals, especially in the Arab market.

Mansour Al Hassani, Head of Sales, SBA, and general coordinator of the Publishers Conference, said: “SBA organises the Publishers Conference based on its strategic vision to support and advance the publishing sector, and at the same time, further SIBF’s mission to connect publishers in the region and the world.”