Sharjah Book Authority Promotes UAE's Children's Book Industry at Bologna Children's Book Fair 2023

The mission was led by Ahmed bin Rakkad al Ameri, Chairman of the SBA, who had important meetings and conversations with representatives of the book fair, publishing groups, and institutions.

on Mar 10, 2023

Sharjah Book Authority Promotes UAE's Children's Book Industry

Participants in the Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF) 2023 were given a clear image of Sharjah and the UAE's leading plans and ideas for growing the children's book industry by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA).

The publications of several regional cultural organisations and publishers, including Al Qasimi Publications, the Department of Culture in Sharjah, the Arab Children's Book Publisher Forum, the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY), and Kalimat Group, were on display at the SBA pavilion.

These publications gave several visitors important insights into their coordinated initiatives to promote children's publishing and readership, both locally and internationally. Representatives from the Italian and foreign cultural communities investigated this comprehensive collection, including translated works that also introduced Arab and Emirati cultures.

The mission was led by Ahmed bin Rakkad al Ameri, Chairman of the SBA, who had important meetings and conversations with representatives of the book fair, publishing groups, and institutions. He met with Nihar Malaviya, CEO of Penguin Random House, and Karine Pansa, President of the International Publishers Association (IPA). He also met with Markus Dohle, a consultant and former CEO of Penguin Random House.

"Participating in this book fair, which recently honoured Sharjah as the Guest of Honour, further propels the emirate's cultural project, founded by H.H. Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to build cultural bridges throughout the world," the SBA Chairman said.

"The SBA is especially interested in participating in international events to foster a reading culture among children since this is consistent with our objectives to advance children's and Y.A. literature. Children's book fairs give industry participants a crucial platform and present them with new chances to create creative material that young readers will relate to and actively engage with.

For instance, the SBA has gathered important knowledge about the expanding significance of children's book fairs through the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF). We work hard every year to include more publishers and authors in SCRF so they may take advantage of the many opportunities the organisation offers content creators.

The SBA used the occasion to highlight SCRF 2014 preparations and provide a thorough overview of the numerous opportunities and distinctive opportunities it provides to people working in the children's book sector, including the Arab Children's Book Publisher Forum programmes and others.

The authority emphasised the emirate's sophisticated infrastructure and the opportunities it offers for the creative industries through international venues like the Sharjah International Book Fair. It informed participants about significant events like the Publishers Conference it hosts to present fresh opportunities for translation projects and cross-cultural interactions.

"We discussed emerging opportunities offered by the SBA to publishers and book distributors we met in Bologna and analysed ways we can strengthen collaboration and develop efficient mechanisms to address challenges and advance the publishing industry," said Mansour Al Hassani, Director of Publisher Services at the SBA.

The Sharjah Book Sellers Conference, Publishers Conference, and other SBA-sponsored events were among the initiatives we concentrated on to draw as many attendees as possible to this crucial sector.

Last year, Sharjah took part in the 59th Bologna Children's Book Festival as the Guest of Honor. It planned a thorough cultural schedule that included panel talks, seminars for children's book illustrators, and a display of artwork by Emirati artists.