Arpita Das of New Delhi’s Yoda Press, and a regular columnist with ‘Publishing Perspectives,’ speaks in the PublisHer Lounge at Sharjah’s Publishers Conference. Image: SBC, Moamen Geemee
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Al Qasimi: ‘United in Our Basic Purpose’
In yet another indication of how deeply integral the Sharjah-based PublisHer Women in Publishing network has become, the program has appeared this week on all three days of the 15th Sharjah Publishers Conference, building on the steady development work that the Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi and Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri—together leading the Sharjah Book Authority as chair and CEO respectively— have dedicated to the program from its 2019 founding.With the conference drawing a total 1,258 pulishers (of both genders) from 116 countries, this year’s new elements in the PublisHer program have included:
- Thirty-one workshops addressing key challenges and possible solutions in publishing;
- New addition of the “Boardroom Exchange” to facilitate meetings between industry
leaders and international participants; and - “The Exhibitor Wall,” a dedicated space highlighting information about suppliers for the
publishing industry.
‘As our industry evolves and adapts to technology and transformation, we must stay united in our basic purpose: to make stories more accessible, diverse and human.’ Bodour Al Qasimi, chair of the Sharjah Book Authority, on Sunday during the program’s opening. Image: SBA, Moamen Geemee
Al Qasimi: ‘The Shared Future of This Business’
“Every year, the Sharjah Publishers Conference shows that the story of global publishing has many authors,” Al Qasimi told here audience on Sunday (November 2).
“As our industry evolves and adapts to technology and transformation, we must stay united in our basic purpose,” she said, “to make stories more accessible, diverse, and human.
“Through the Sharjah Publishers Conference and other initiatives, Sharjah is committed to building bridges that connect publishers, empower creators, and strengthen the shared future of this business.”
A Strongly Attended Opening Event
The opening ceremony was attended by Al Ameri, CEO of SBA; Gvantsa Jobava, president of the International Publishers Association (IPA); Madeline McIntosh, co-founding CEO of Authors Equity, and the former CEO of Penguin Random House USA; and Phaedon Kidoniatis, vice-president of the Federation of European Publishers (FEP) and representative of Greek Publisher Association.
They were joined by senior international publishing leaders and representatives of publishers’ associations from many parts of the world.
Jobava: ‘An Industry of Ideas and Impact’
The PublisHer Lounge at this year’s Sharjah Publishers Conference has been located at the rear of the auditorium in its customary open setting devised by Weam Ibrahim for the program. Image SBA, Moamen Geemen
In her own comments on the opening of the PublisHer Lounge, IPA’s Jobava said, “What a time it is to be a publisher.
“Ours is an industry of ideas and impact; and today, our ability to fulfil our mission; to connect authors with readers, to educate, to inspire; is greater than ever before.
“Through progress in accessibility, from the prevalence of audiobooks to text-to-speech
technologies, we’re ensuring that the power of story and knowledge is available to all. Books now travel further and faster, reaching every corner of the world through a multitude of platforms and formats; our words have never had a wider reach.
“We are also witnessing governments, as cultural leaders recognize and champion the importance of a reading culture; and Sharjah stands as a prime example.”
Wherever our international readers are in the world, they use our free daily email to be sure they don’t miss any news. Sign up now.