DC Books wins Best International Publisher Award at SIBF for the second time!
Ravi Deecee, Publisher, DC Books shares more about the award and how DC Books has played a pivotal role in spreading the culture of reading, in conversation with Varsha Verma. Excerpts.
DC Books, one of India’s leading publishers, has been awarded the prestigious Best International Publisher Award at the Sharjah International Book Fair for the second time. This honour underscores DC Books’ significant contribution to the global literary landscape. The Sharjah International Book Fair awards program, established by Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, recognizes outstanding achievements in the global publishing arena.
DC Books is the only Indian publisher to have received this prestigious award twice, having first won the honour in 2013. This rare distinction underscores the publisher’s continuous commitment to excellence and its growing influence in the global literary community. The award was presented by Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority, to Ravi Deecee, Chief Executive Officer of DC Books.
On the award…
Talking about the award, Ravi shares, “As far as the Sharjah International Book Fair is concerned, we have been part of it since 2008. We received the first award in 2013. Now when we are celebrating our 50th anniversary is when we got the award the second time and I believe probably it’s because of the kind of contributions which we have made to the society and to the reading public. The Sharjah Ruler’s objective has always been to inculcate reading among the youngsters. He has generated interest in reading through initiatives like the Sharjah International Book Fair and through the programs like one library per house and building library infrastructure across Sharjah. DC Books has been a part of it as not just as a publisher, but as a partner associating in bringing authors, celebrities and through Outreach programs in schools across UAE.”
On Malayalam language…
“Malayalam is one of the least spoken languages of India, spoken by only 36 or 37 million people, which has a maximum number of translations from across the globe. The number of translations which are published by DC Books is actually at par with some of the largest publishers of the world,” shares Ravi.
On literature festivals…
“There’s an array of literature festivals across Kerala after we started the Kerala Literature Festival, which has triggered people to come out of the houses and to interact with authors. KLF 2024 witnessed half a million in crowd over the four days of the festival. So, we not only just publish the books but we ensure that actually this is also disseminated to the readers and inculcating the culture of reading,” he adds.
On titles…
“In five years of JCB Prize for Literature, for three years, the award went for Malayalam books and all three have been from DC Books, originally published in Malayalam. Some of our bestsellers are the ones we have brought out as debut writers; which speaks about the language and our selection process,” he shares.
On DC Books…
DC Books was established in 1974 by DC Kizhakemuri, freedom fighter, social activist, writer and recipient of Padma Bhushan. He spearheaded the Paperback Revolution in India. DC Books is one of the top five publishers in India. The company boasts the largest chain of bookstores in the country and publishes over 600 new titles annually, including translations, spanning various genres. DC Books is also recognized as the first ISO-certified publishing house in the book industry in India, a testament to its commitment to quality and innovation in publishing. With a focus on literary excellence and innovation, the company publishes a diverse range of books in English, Malayalam, and other languages.
In addition to its publishing work, DC Books is the organizer of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF), Asia’s largest literature festival.
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