Ahead of the 39th annual Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) has welcomed publishing professionals worldwide to take advantage of its ‘Meet the Emirati Publishers’ business networking project launched last year, by either scheduling one-to-one meetings with local industry players at the fair, or exploring partnerships virtually.

Interested publishers and industry professionals can reach out to 185 of EPA’s member publishers to discuss possible collaborations on translation projects or the buying and selling of rights by scheduling  in-person meetings on the fairgrounds at Sharjah Expo Centre from November 4 – 14 directly through the link  https://www.epa.org.ae/EPA-Members.aspx. The same link can be used to book virtual meetings with participating Emirati publishers. 

Explaining the strategic objectives of the Meet the Emirati Publishers project, the Executive Director of EPA, Rashid Al Kous, said: “Through this strategic networking platform, EPA aims to expand the global reach of its member publishers. We also want to effectively promote the translation of Arabic titles into other languages by enabling our members to meet with prospective international counterparts. The project has enabled its beneficiaries to discuss strategic business partnerships with global players at local, regional and international book fairs and prestigious cultural events. More importantly, the project has guided publishers to make the most of translation grants available at home and abroad and enabled them to capitalise on opportunities to purchase foreign and translation rights.”

Through the Meet the Emirate Publisher project, EPA provides select member publishers with a free guaranteed space or stand at book fairs EPA participates in, and contact numbers of the entities scheduled to attend matchmaking events, including a catalogue of publishing and translation rights of the publishers they are meeting with.

The Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) was founded in 2009 by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and President of the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA), who has led the efforts to advance the publishing industry in the UAE. The organisation is dedicated to serving and developing the publishing sector and advancing the role of Emirati publishers through training and mentorship programmes. EPA represents the interests of professionals in the UAE’s publishing industry by working on advancing their rights and has a remit to improve the conditions in the industry in coordination with the authorities concerned, locally and internationally.