At the 2024 edition of the Sharjah Booksellers Conference. Image: SBA, Nabs Ahmedi
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Note: This article was published on UAE time here in Sharjah on Monday (April 7).
See also: Sharjah Announces Details of Its Fourth Annual Booksellers Conference
Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi Opens
After a particularly strong showing at Bologna Children’s Book Fair—which closed only on Thursday (April 3), Sharjah Book Authority‘s biggest Sharjah International Booksellers Conference yet opens today (April 7) at 10 a.m. here under the Italianate white sunlight of the United Arab Emirates.
One of a newer portfolio of fast-expanding events that proudly are populating the calendar of the nation’s third emirate—”the reading emirate,” as thr author Sherikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi’s vision has defined it as ruler of Sharjah—the booksellers conference is aimed at one of the Middle Eastern and African regions’ most fundamental challenges: distribution and bookselling.
Bodour Al Qasimi
Led by the book authority’s chair, the Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, and by the SBA’s CEO Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, with Mansour Al Hassani, the director of publisher services
The seasoned programming prowess of Emma House, and the communications and logistical finesse that Tony Mulliken provides so generously are part of what gives this event a remarkable personable, instructive range.
Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri
Drawing from so many markets, languages, levels of expertise, and industry accomplishments, the sheer span of knowledge deliberately brought to bear here is enormous.
Indeed, even the interaction across borders, backgrounds, business models, and market conditions are daunting.
Events include sessions as “nitty gritty” at what-not-to-wear and other guidance from Al Qasimi’s Visa-partnered PublisHer events for professional women in world publishing.
Some of the fourth Sharjah Booksellers Conference speakers include, from left, Renato Salvetti; Michael Busch; and Radu Serban and Nicoleta Jordan
And the staged presentations go as big-picture as opening speaker Renato Salvetti, CEO of Italy’s dominant Messaggerie Libri, and the German trailblazing Michael Busch of the huge Thalia bookstore chain — each speaking with Publishing Perspectives onstage on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
Here are also Serban Radu and Nicoleta Jordan of Romania’s Carturesti Bookstores.
And all is set in a deep brace ov round-table workshops on many tightly focused topics—this is a format that has quickly become one of House’s programming trademarks.
Jeremy Cammy of Rock the Bus Productions in Canada is acting this year as master of ceremonies, and more will be coming from reports today and Tuesday from here in Sharjah.
At last week’s Bologna Children’s Book Fair, designer Weam’s new Sharjah Book Authority stand –first seen at London Book Fair — was a strong draw. Image: SBA, Nabs Ahmedi
More from Publishing Perspectives about the Sharjah Booksellers Conference is here, more on PublisHer is here, and more on Sharjah and its market is here.
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