A recent study conducted by the former President of the Egyptian National Library and Archives, Dr Zain Abdul Hady, has revealed that the publishing industry in Egypt has done significantly well last year. The total number of books published was recorded at 20 million – a 12 million increase when compared to 2010 figures.
In terms of the number of titles published, the study indicates that 12,000 were produced in 2010 as compared to 9,000 in the year 2000. There is no available data on the titles published last year or the year before, as the researcher could not verify the accuracy of unofficial statistics.
Dr Hady points out a few reasons for this positive trend. Partly, it is due to a sizeable number of publishers working with aspiring and new authors in the field of literature, fiction and other popular genres. Another important factor is the internet and social media, which has created a new generation of authors who have published their titles online, which were eventually converted into printed books by Egyptian publishers.
