Despite its rich literary past, the Arab world today is more often thought of for its culture clashes and political discontent than its potential future as an international hub for book publishing. But with government cooperation and cash flow, it is easier for publishers to move past differences in societal standards and censorship battles to see the business opportunities available to them.
In Abu Dhabi, what began as more of a local bazaar has been transformed into a structured event designed to attract international publishers. Through a joint venture between the Frankfurt International Book Fair and the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (KITAB), the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which is open to the public, is seeing a continued interest from professional attendees since its reinvention two years ago. Between 2007 and 2008 there was a 16% rise in overall exhibitors and a 25% rise in overall space used, says Claudia Kaiser, General Manager of the ADIBF. The 2009 numbers won’t be verified until after the fair, but Kaiser says the number of publishers currently registered suggests another significant increase this year.
“The Arab world was a place where you could lose a lot of money and a lot of time,” says Kaiser. But with the growing interest from larger publishers and help from Frankfurt, Kaiser hopes that view will become one of the past.
Publishers from more than fifty countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, India, China, Singapore, Korea, India, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United States, and the United Kingdom, have registered to attend next month’s fair. Kaiser says that within the Arab world, the majority of exhibitors are local, coming from the United Arab Emirates, but Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan will have representation there as well. According to Helen Wharton of Colman Getty PR, which represents the fair, there is a mix of mix of educational and trade publishers, though the concentration is toward educational titles. Wharton also says that the stands have sold out earlier this year than in the past.
Hal Fessenden, U.S. Director of Subsidiary Rights at Penguin, who attended in 2008, says that despite the “lavishly built” facility that replaced the white tents of the pre-Frankfurt days, it is still in the early stages of growth. “They are still selling physical copies to the public, not rights.”
The fair attracts visitors by bringing in popular authors for signings and hosting workshops and year-round events relating to publishing and literature. Arab publishers who exhibit receive a 30% discount from the ADIBF, and a new program called Spotlight on Rights offers a $1,000 subsidy towards books translated into Arabic. The deal can be made before, after, or during, as long as both contracting partners are in attendance.
“I was surprised at the determination they have to build this thing,” says Fessenden. “They’re not kidding around. They are serious and they are spending a lot of money.”
Anne Eckert of the Frankfurt Book Fair says that the joint venture is hoping to address every aspect of book publishing, from writing and translating to publishing and distribution. “KITAB, the joint venture between Frankfurt and the Authority for Culture, organizes training programs for publishers and booksellers. It also works on reading-promotion activities like Book Crossing and reading competitions,” Eckert says. “It encourages the establishment of international publishing houses in Abu Dhabi, in this way developing a long-term networking opportunity between the Arabic and international publishing communities.”
Penguin is the latest publishing house to throw its hat into the Arab publishing ring and sign on to open offices in the Middle East. Joining HarperCollins and Bertelsmann, which will be based in Abu Dhabi, and Bloomsbury in neighboring Qatar, a fraction of the Penguin Group will soon be calling Dubai home. And with the Western involvement coupled with the growing international interest in the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, those involved are hopeful that its literary eminence will resurface.
Random House and HarperCollins UK will be concentrating on their educational material. The two will be a part of a media conglomerate based in Abu Dhabi that will include CNN, the BBC, National Geographic Films, and Sky Pictures, among others. HarperCollins will be revamping its Collins Big Cat educational books for the Arab market and it will also be publishing a series of dictionaries. Random House plans to invest in local Arab authors and develop new material and adapt some of the old in both English and Arabic.
In a culture where contemporary reading is not a national pastime, the goal to increase the number of translations of books both in and out of Arabic is often met through money from educational grants. “People would rather watch television, go to the mall, or drive their fast cars,” Kaiser says. “On the other hand, education is very important and a lot of money is put into it.”
One of the main causes taken on by Sheikh Mohammed, Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, is the promotion of education and reading for both sexes. He has reportedly invested about $10 billion USD toward an education program called Dubai Cares, in hopes that the effort put toward education will match the effort toward the innovative buildings that have made Dubai so internationally recognizable.
Kalima, which means “word” in Arabic, is yet another large government-funded venture. Kalima works with authors, publishers, translators, and distributers, funding the majority of the costs involved. Its goal is to translate, publish, and distribute 100 foreign titles of its choosing into Arabic each year. 100 titles—encompassing classic, contemporary, and modern categories—have already been chosen for translation.
With so many government-backed cultural programs, the next step was, of course, an award to showcase the product. The International Prize for Arabic Fiction, often referred to as the “Arab Booker,” was established in 2007 as another way to bring attention to and encourage translation of books written by Arabic-speaking authors. So far, it has met with considerable success. Last year’s winner was Egyptian writer Baha Taher for his novel Sunset Oasis. It will be published in the UK by Sceptre, a division of Hachette Livre. The five other shortlisted authors were also offered translations. This year, there were 131 submissions. Six have been shortlisted for the prize. The winner will be announced on March 16, the day before the fair begins.
Of interest on this year’s short list is the Jordanian Ibrahim Nasrallah, whose book Time of White Horses has been banned in his home country. Nasrallah writes about three generations of Palestinians under the Ottoman rule; the British Mandate; and the Nakba, the term used to describe the so-called expulsion of the Palestinians after 1948.
As one of the more progressive countries in the region, the UAE has to maneuver around its more conservative neighbors like Saudi Arabia. “Sophisticated Saudis will get on a plane to come to the UAE and rip off their hijab and get their toenails painted,” says Fessenden, who reports that censorship with the Saudis is a “real problem,” though he couldn’t cite specific examples.
One female author is on the shortlist for the prize. The American Granddaughter, written by Inaam Kachachi and published by Al Jadid in Iraq, describes the American occupation of Iraq through the eyes of an American-Iraqi woman and her views when she returns to Iraq as an interpreter for the U.S. Army.
With plenty of government support and money to back any venture they can think up, the United Arab Emirates seems to be building up a literary center with the same ease that they build islands into the Persian Gulf. Despite the hurdles that come with working together with countries at various levels of modernity, a mission that began just over a year ago seems to be well on its way to making a serious dent in international book publishing.
