New Arab
With the cancellation of Arab book fairs due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the publishing industry in the Arab world is facing many challenges that have been long overdue, as the author has no literary agent to manage his rights and interests, no distribution company capable of delivering the book to all Arab readers around the world, and no ability to combat piracy and counterfeiting.
At a second level of the crisis, the trend towards digital publishing , on the one hand, and online distribution, on the other hand, has begun. These are two issues that most Arab publishers have not kept up with, with the emergence of several attempts, including the “Arab Book Fair in Europe,” whose first edition will start next Thursday, the twentieth of this month, and will continue until the fourth of next month, with the participation of more than twenty thousand titles representing about two hundred publishing houses.
The event is organized by Nordic Digital World in Sweden and Lusail Publishing and Distribution House in Qatar, in partnership with Arabesca Bazaar, Copenhagen International Arabic Book Fair, Colors of Europe Magazine, and the Swedish Alkompis Media Network. It comes after experiments, some of which were met with great success and acceptance.
It will be launched with the participation of more than twenty thousand titles representing nearly two hundred publishing houses.
Most of the participating publishers are from Western countries such as Sweden, Germany, Austria, Norway, Canada, Turkey and the United States, in addition to thirty-seven Arab publishing houses including Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan. Virtual visitors to the exhibition can browse its electronic platform to view displays of books and their contents, and be able to order them in Europe and the Arab region, with the exhibition management providing a free shipping service for books for all titles at competitive prices in Europe.
The exhibition includes a cultural program with the participation of a number of writers and researchers through virtual halls. A series of lectures, intellectual and literary seminars, and specialized seminars concerned with children and the Arabic language in Europe are also held.
Among the participants: Bashar Shabaro, Secretary-General of the Arab Publishers Association, researcher and academic Khaled Ziada, novelist Adham Sharqawi, academic Moamen Al-Anan, specialist in teaching Arabic to non-native speakers, poet and writer Adnan Al-Awda, musician Imad Al-Tamimi, researcher Al-Hawas Taqiya, educator Majida Al-Jamal, writer specializing in children’s literature Jikar Khorshid, visual artist Yahya Ashmawi, and academics Tahseen Al-Muzaik and Mohammed Al-Raji.
The organizers pointed out that the exhibition is working on launching several initiatives that will support the spread of Arab culture in Europe, including launching an award for Arab publishers in Europe, in addition to launching a special initiative for the digital book that will be alongside the paper book that will be displayed virtually through the first European specialized platform in Arab book fairs.
Source
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/%22%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%B6-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D 9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%A7%22-%D8%AF%D9%88%D 8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9
