Sharjah: Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has participated in the 30th Moscow International Book Fair and the Indonesia International Book Fair.
The authority used its involvement at the literary events to extend bridges of communication and develop channels of cooperation with a large number of publishers and intellectuals from Northern Eurasia and Southeast Asia.
During its participation in the Moscow fair, which attracted more than 600 publishing houses from 40 countries, SBA underlined the efforts by Sharjah and the UAE to develop the publishing sector globally. It also highlighted the emirate’s stature as a hub for exhibitions and conferences and the services and facilities it offers to publishers interested in accessing the region’s markets.
On the sidelines of its participation in the fair, the SBA delegation held a series of meetings with cultural organisation representatives and publishing sector stakeholders who are keen to connect with Arab professionals in the industry.
Ahmad Al Ameri, chairman of SBA, met with the president of the Russian Publishers Association and with the director of the Moscow International Book Fair, with both officials expressing their desire to enhance cooperation with Sharjah and to participate in the book fairs and publishing conferences organised by SBA.
Al Ameri said that under the directives of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, SBA is keen to expand international participation in the Sharjah International Book Fair and Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, as well as attract publishers to Sharjah Publishing City, the first phase of which is expected to open soon.
In addition to promoting Sharjah Publishing City, SBA invited Russian publishers and intellectuals to participate in Sharjah International Book Fair and its associated events. SBA also provided them with application forms for the $300,000 Translation Grant that allows them to obtain the funds to translate their publications from Russian into Arabic and to further publish and distribute their titles among Arab readers.
Meanwhile, the SBA stand at the Indonesia International Book Fair attracted a great deal of interest from representatives of Indonesian and Asian publishers. The stand witnessed a huge turnout by Indonesian publishers who inquired about investment advantages provided by Sharjah Publishing City as well as the details of how to participate in Sharjah International Book Fair. The Indonesian publishers also showed their interest in selling copyrights to their Arab counterparts.
