During the opening ceremony of the LBF, Bodour Al Qasimi, President of the International Publishers Association (IPA), Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations (DGR), and head of the Sharjah delegation at LBF 2022, HE Ahmed Al Ameri, Sharjah Book Authority Chairman, and a delegation of high officials, visited the EPA’s stand, where they were briefed on the unique works of the participating publishing houses, which aim to strengthen cooperation and partnership agreements with European publishers and raise the status of the publishing industry in the Arab world.
The stand was also visited by Her Excellency Rawdha Mohamed Alotaiba, Deputy Head of Mission at the UAE Embassy in London, Şekib Avdagiç, President of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau (ICVB), and his Turkish, accompanying delegation, and Dr Ahmad al dibayan, General Director of the Islamic Cultural Center in London.
Commenting on EPA’s participation at LBF, His Excellency Ali Obaid Bin Hatem, President of EPA, said: “Sharjah’s honour as Market Focus is an incredible opportunity to celebrate Emirati literature and Arabic books and forge stronger cultural links with publishing stakeholders in the UK and around Europe”, considering that EPA’s participation at LBF, together with an elite of cultural, heritage and creative entities in the emirate, showcases the vibrant, creative and international landscape of the emirate, under the guidance and vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhmmad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. Thus, Sharjah has become a centre for publishing across the Arab world.
Bin Hatem is emphasised the role of the publishers’ works, under the association’s umbrella, in enhancing the presence of Emirati and Arab writers in global markets. He added: “we are looking forward to making meaningful connections with UK and international publishers to enhance our business partnerships, expand our activities and enter new markets.
EPA’s presence at the 49th edition of London Book Fair, which concludes on April 7 at Olympia London (Olympia Exhibition Centre), is in line with its mission to represent Emirati publishers locally, regionally and at international events and help strengthen their outreach in new markets, wheremore than 20,000 publishers, booksellers, literary agents, librarians, and media representatives from around 100 countries participate in the fair.
On a side note, EPA is hosting in its stand the award-winning Kalimat Group, a mother company that holds 5 imprints under its umbrella, and the UAE branch of Liberty Education UK, a pioneer in offering high quality accredited resources for international schools. Furthermore, the participating publishers - under the umbrella of the association - are showcasing a multitude of genres ranging from children’s literature and academic works to picture books, translated publications and more.
Participating publishers at the EPA are holding networking meetings with British and international publishers to explore collaboration opportunities and discuss key and emerging publishing trends in the industry. The EPA’s team have met with Nielson Group on book metadata research in the UAE. The association’s team also met with representatives of Ingram Content Group, UK, to improve the level of technology services and distribution accessible for publishers and to better serve an increasingly connected global community of readers.
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