Home 5 News 5 Bodour: publishing is on cusp of new age

Bodour: publishing is on cusp of new age

by | Nov 2, 2021 | News

Publishing is on the cusp of a “new age”, Bodour al Qasimi, president of the International Publishers Association (IPA), told delegates at the opening of the Sharjah International Book Fair Publishers Conference this week.  “I believe we are on the cusp of a new age in publishing in which our collective voices can come together to create a new dawn,” she said.

She believes that the coronavirus pandemic has provided “an opportunity to introduce fundamental changes to the way we think about our industry and its role and position on the global stage”.  The important lesson, she asserts, is for the industry “to stand together, and to improve collaboration, not just between publishers, but also across the entire publishing spectrum including printers, booksellers, libraries, teachers, technology companies, and everyone in-between”.

To this end, the IPA has worked with many partners to develop the International Sustainable Publishing and Industry Resilience Plan, known as the InSpire plan, recently launched at the Frankfurt Book Fair.  The IPA is also working with “world-leading capacity building institutions” such as the World Intellectual Property Organisation, New York University and the UK’s Oxford Brookes University to launch the IPA Academy.  This will offer online masterclasses in multiple languages to IPA members to help “bridge the skills gap and help our members adapt to rapidly changing readership and consumer behaviour trends”.

With characteristic generosity, she said it was time “to help our colleagues in markets which have been faced with greater challenges,” adding “it is only when we act together that we can become stronger on the world stage and ensure we are listened to by governments and all stakeholders”.

She concluded on a positive note looking ahead to life on the other side of the pandemic.  “We will recover and re-emerge ready to face the world stronger, more  focused, and most importantly, more united.”

Recent News

11Mar
Anthony Hopkins’ Memos to Hit Shelves in November

Anthony Hopkins’ Memos to Hit Shelves in November

Simon & Schuster is at the London Book Fair with a new CEO in the wings and at least one hot international property.  Bonnier Books chief Perminder Mann takes over from Ian Chapman who leaves the company on 1 May, and the publisher is continuing to rack up international sales for the memoirs of Hollywood […]

10Mar
Sharjah Leads Emirati Presence at London Book Fair

Sharjah Leads Emirati Presence at London Book Fair

Today, on March 11, 2025, the London International Book Fair opens at the “Olympia London” Center in the British capital, attracting a select group of publishers, writers, and industry professionals worldwide. They will participate until March 13 in one of the most important and largest platforms for exchanging ideas and innovations in the publishing world. […]

06Mar
SFD Discusses Your Psychological Complexes… Your Eternal Prison

SFD Discusses Your Psychological Complexes… Your Eternal Prison

As part of its efforts to promote a culture of reading and intellectual engagement in the workplace, the Sharjah Finance Department (SFD) has launched the first session of the “Reading Majlis” initiative for 2025.   The session took place at the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah, with the participation of employees and majlis members, reaffirming […]

Related Posts

Sharjah Leads Emirati Presence at London Book Fair

Sharjah Leads Emirati Presence at London Book Fair

Today, on March 11, 2025, the London International Book Fair opens at the "Olympia London" Center in the British capital, attracting a select group of publishers, writers, and industry professionals worldwide. They will participate until March 13 in one of the most...

SFD Discusses Your Psychological Complexes… Your Eternal Prison

SFD Discusses Your Psychological Complexes… Your Eternal Prison

As part of its efforts to promote a culture of reading and intellectual engagement in the workplace, the Sharjah Finance Department (SFD) has launched the first session of the "Reading Majlis" initiative for 2025.   The session took place at the Arabic Language...

UK Publishers Association Slams ‘Copyright Heist’

UK Publishers Association Slams ‘Copyright Heist’

Dan Conway, CEO of the UK Publishers Association, has spoken out strongly in opposition to the Government’s proposals regarding Artificial Intelligence and copyright.  Conway, along with most of the UK publishing industry, is opposed to the Government’s ‘opt out or...

Previous Next
Close
Test Caption
Test Description goes like this

Pin It on Pinterest