Sharjah to host the 3rd Arab Publishers Conference

The Arab Publishers Association (APA) has announced that the Emirate of Sharjah has been chosen to host the 3rd Arab Publishers Conference in November 2015 (APAC2015), immediately prior to the opening of the Sharjah International Book Fair.

The APA is the largest gathering of publishing houses, literary agencies and publishing professionals in the Arab world and Sharjah’s selection to host the prestigious conference reflects the appreciation of Arab publishers of the role played by Sharjah in developing the publishing industry and promoting books and reading on the local and regional levels. The decision underscores Sharjah’s commitment and investment in culture, nurtured by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, member of the Supreme Council and ruler of Sharjah, over four decades.

Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Amri, chairman of Sharjah Book Authority, said, “We are extremely delighted with winning the honour of hosting the Arab Publishers Conference, for which Sharjah Book Authority will act as sponsor, in implementation of the directives of Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi.”

In addition to the keynote speeches, networking sessions, and professional meetings, the topics that will be explored during APAC2015 include libraries, education, intellectual property, copyright & piracy, digital distribution, freedom to publish, translation and the Arabic language, innovation in publishing and content development.

APAC2015 will be attended by international publishing organisations and literary agencies, including the International Publishers Association (IPA), the Arab Publishers Association (APA), the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) and publishing associations in other Arab countries. Other delegates will come from Ministries of culture, libraries, government and private organisations, in addition to publishers, intellectuals, authors, writers, media representatives, legal and academic figures from both Arab countries and the rest of the world.

The first APA Conference was held under the title “Future of the Publishing Industry in the Arab World” in Riyadh in October 2009, while Alexandria hosted the second edition which was held under the title “Knowledge Empowerment and Challenges of Arab Publishing” in March 2013