In brief
On November 1, 2026, the Sharjah International Publishers Conference opened with 30 roundtables that brought together 1,433 publishers to explore new avenues for value creation. Topics ranged from translation rights and screen adaptation to technology and AI applications, with a focus on Arabic and other less widely spoken languages. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the event highlighted opportunities for cross‑border distribution, digital channels, and partnerships that could expand market reach.
On November 1, 2026, the 16th Sharjah International Publishers Conference opened in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, with 30 roundtables and 1,433 publishers participating, organised by the Sharjah Book Authority.
The sessions tackled ways to generate greater value from books, covering translation rights, screen adaptations and international sales across a range of languages, including Arabic and other less widely spoken tongues.
Roundtable leaders included Paola Francesca Corsini, Dramatic Rights Specialist at HAB in Italy, who examined opportunities to adapt books for film and television; Tuomas Sorjamaa of Rights and Brands in Finland, who explored how publishers can generate value beyond the book through content rights; and Gergana Pancheva of Sofia Literary Agency in Bulgaria, who discussed selling translation rights from smaller markets.
Dr Latifa Al Haj of Bumelha Publishing & Distribution in the UAE led the interactive roundtable “Would You Buy the Rights?”, examining how publishers can assess titles before acquiring translation rights, while Neven Eltohamy of Kayan Publishing in Egypt explored developing storyworlds, characters, and formats into publishing intellectual property for use across multiple projects.
Market‑focused discussions addressed rights trading and publishing trends in Japan, China, Latin America and Spain, reviewing China’s growing online literature and audiobook economy, buying and selling rights in Japan, and routes between Arab and international markets. Ali Al‑Mujaini of DarArab for Publishing and Translation in Oman traced a book’s journey from the first rights conversation to its arrival in bookshops, detailing publishing between Oman and the United Kingdom.
Participants also examined ways to increase sales through Amazon and Noon, use digital channels to reach readers and bookshops, and strengthen inventory and distribution management. Sessions explored affordable bilingual children’s books, co‑editions between publishing houses, and comics and graphic novel rights in North America.
