Nine members of the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) are showcasing 103 of their literary and scientific publications at the ongoing 39th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) under the theme ‘The World Reads from Sharjah’.

EPA has chosen these member publishers, who each have less than 20 publications to their credit, in continuation of its strategic goals to offer smaller homegrown publishers business exposure at key regional and international industry events. The publishers are exhibiting their titles at EPA’s Manassah platform pavilion in Hall No.5 at Expo Centre Sharjah.

The participating publishing houses include Hamaleel Publishing; The DreamWork Collective; Souad Sleibi Publishing; Andalusia Publishing; Makarem Publishing; Beacon of Science Publishing; Alreyada Publishing; Dar Al Saif Publishing; and Dar Al Thuraya.

Rashid Al Kous, Executive Director of EPA, said that the entity’s annual participation in SIBF was part of it efforts to boost the presence of Emirati publishers at local and international cultural events. “Since its inception, EPA has been serving as a bridge between its member publishers and their Arab and international counterparts. Giving them, and especially those included in our Manassah project, access to new markets by facilitating their participation in book fairs in the UAE and across the world has been especially helpful to smaller publishers this year in light of the financial challenges faced by them as a result of the pandemic,” he said.

Sultan Saif Al Mazrouei owner of Al Saif Publishing thanked EPA for its continuous support to Emirati publishers and for its efforts to promote its membership’s presence in prestigious cultural events.

Ahmed Mohammed, owner of Beacon of Science Publishing, which is being represented by Manassah at SIBF for the second year in a row, said the project not only afforded them the opportunity to exhibit their publications at local and international book fairs, it also helped reduce their financial burden by bearing the cost of participation in these events.

Mohammed also commended the opportunities presented to Beacon of Science Publishing, an emerging publishing house, by EPA has enabled them to continue their activities during this difficult period.

Asma Kalban, owner of Al Thuraya Publishing, praised the platform, highlighting it provided new member publishers golden opportunities to bring their products to their target audiences and also connect with local, regional, and foreign publishers.

Kira Jane owner of The DreamWork Collective said: “Our participation through EPA has been fortuitous as the entity’s pavilion attracts a large number of visitors at SIBF. As a small business, this helps us showcase our literary products to a larger audience and also enables us to contribute to the growth of the local publishing industry.”

The Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) was founded in 2009 to serve and develop the publishing sector in the UAE and advance the role of Emirati publishers through training and mentorship programmes. EPA represents the interests of publishing professionals in the UAE and works on advancing their rights and improving the conditions in the industry in coordination with the authorities concerned, locally and internationally.