The Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) is marking its presence at the ongoing 36th Guadalajara International Book Fair in Mexico’s third largest city where Sharjah is being celebrated as Guest of Honour.

Three Emirati publishers are also participating in panel discussions hosted by EPA at the nine-day fair that concludes on December 4, 2022.
 
The UAE’s leading body for publishers is providing the three Emirati publishers  with a platform to promote their rights and network with Latin publishers in Mexico, while enabling them to enhance their global visibility and gain access to new markets.

Rashid Mohammed Al Kous, Executive Director of EPA said, “We highly value such international collaborations which came true thanks to the Emirate of Sharjah’s great effort of being hosted by major fairs around the world as Guest of Honor. These events are platforms to introduce the Emirati and Arab culture, by familiarising the new readers to the unknown Emirati books of different genres”.

He added, “Guadalajara International Book Fair provides Emirati publishers with an opportunity for networking with their peers in Spanish-speaking countries and exchanging of expertise and new experiences, along with the possibility of signing new publishing agreements and contracts for translations from Arabic into Spanish and vice versa to enhance the cultural dialogue between the Arab and Latin literature.”

Jamal AlShehhi, General Manager of Dar Kuttab Publishing and Distribution, said: “This is a great opportunity to delve deep into the world of the Spanish-speaking Latin and Central American markets and to introduce ourselves to an entirely new readership. 

EPA’s continuous support in promoting Emirati authors and publishers at such international events is enabling Emirati publishers to expand outside of the UAE while also allowing the international publishers to gain insights into the strengths of the diverse book industry in the UAE.”

Dr. Alyazia Khalifa, Founder of Al Fulk Translation and Publishing, said: “The Guadalajara International Book Fair is a global platform of networking between the publishing industry stakeholders and the book-loving audiences. It is also a great opportunity to get introduced to the Latin culture, in general and that of Mexico, in particular, and to showcase the UAE’s vibrant cultural and creative landscape to the fair’s multicultural visitors in this part of the world.”

Lina Chebaro, Senior Copyright Manager, Thaqafa Publishing, who is visiting the largest book fair in the Americas under EPA, said: “Sharjah and Guadalajara share so much in common, and the book fair is a great platform to explore partnership opportunities with publishers from the Spanish-speaking markets, expand translation efforts, and discuss and learn best practices to combat the ongoing challenges in the industry.”

At the book fair, Dr. Khalifa, AlShehhi, and Chebaro were part of a panel discussion organised by EPA on ‘Book-Marketing Trends’, which also featured Fernando Pascual, Director of strategic planning at bookstore chain El Sótano, and Ricardo Sánchez Riancho, CEO and Founder of Textofilia Ediciones. The panel members shared industry trends and insights on ways to increase sales with innovative marketing strategies, explored the right allocation of marketing budgets and ways to maximise new advertising opportunities on social media. The discussion also focused on consumer behaviours in varied markets and the scope of self-marketing, amongst others.

The three EPA publishers also participated in a discussion titled “The publishing market and business opportunities in the Arab world” which addressed the commonalities and significant differences in the publishing trends and consumer behaviour in both Arab and the Spanish-speaking markets and discussed the presence of international publishers, e-commerce, and market situation dynamics in the relevant markets. 

The EPA is also hosting match-making sessions at their stand under the Guest of Honour pavilion to strengthen networking opportunities between UAE and international publishers from Latin and Central America, thus opening the doors of opportunity for those with an interest in doing business in the Arab publishing market. 

Established in 2009, the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to serving and developing the publishing industry in UAE and represents Emirati publishers at regional and international events, exhibitions and seminars on publishing.