In brief
On 1 November 2026, the Sharjah Book Authority opened its 16th conference with 30 roundtables and more than 1,400 publishers. Sessions focused on rights acquisition, AI, digital distribution, and cross‑border markets, with speakers from Italy, Finland, Bulgaria, the UAE, and Egypt leading discussions on film adaptations, content value, and IP development. While the event highlighted emerging opportunities, the long‑term impact on sales and market penetration remains unclear.
The 16th Sharjah International Publishers Conference opened on 1 November 2026 with 30 roundtables that drew 1,433 publishers from around the world. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the event focused on how publishers can generate greater value from books through translation rights, screen adaptations and international sales.
Sessions were held in four rounds, with seven of the day’s roundtables delivered in Arabic. Topics ranged from rights acquisition and development to access to new markets, distribution and technology use, including artificial intelligence applications and cross‑border distribution. Special attention was given to Arabic and less widely spoken languages.
Paola Francesca Corsini, a dramatic rights specialist from HAB in Italy, explored opportunities to adapt books for film and television. Tuomas Sorjamaa of Rights and Brands in Finland discussed ways publishers can generate value beyond the core book through extended content rights. Gergana Pancheva, representing Sofia Literary Agency in Bulgaria, highlighted the possibility of selling translation rights from smaller markets. Dr Latifa Al Haj of Bumelha Publishing & Distribution in the UAE led an interactive roundtable—“Would You Buy the Rights?”—examining how publishers can assess titles before acquiring translation rights.
Neven Eltohamy of Kayan Publishing in Egypt examined how storyworlds, characters and formats can be developed into publishing intellectual property for use across multiple projects. Market‑focused roundtables addressed rights trading opportunities and publishing trends in Japan, China, Latin America and Spain. Discussions covered 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 examined how publishing can occur between Oman and the United Kingdom, tracing a book’s journey from the first rights conversation to its arrival in bookshops. Participants also reviewed ways to increase sales through Amazon and Noon, use digital channels to reach readers and bookshops, and strengthen inventory and distribution management.
The conference also tackled how publishers can support authors in marketing their books and adapt to changes in the media landscape. Topics included affordable bilingual children’s books, co‑editions between publishing houses, and comics and graphic novel rights in North America.
While the 16th conference provided a platform for sharing best practices, the sources noted that the duration of the benefits of translation rights, AI tools and digital distribution channels will depend on various market conditions. No definitive outcomes regarding sales growth or market penetration were reported, leaving stakeholders to observe how the discussed initiatives unfold over time.
