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Over 400 publishing professionals from 69 countries attended the International Bookseller Conference in Sharjah, held on Monday 1 May 2023 in Expo Centre Sharjah. Together, the conference participants will share experiences and insights on ways to chart a future course of growth and development for the book distribution industry.

At the two-day event held alongside the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), participants discussed how book distribution activities and creative content could reach a wider audience.

The event serve as a platform for expertise and knowledge exchange to encourage participants to diversify distribution mechanisms and learn from inspiring and innovative experiences that will benefit the sector.

The agenda of the highly anticipated event is more robust and holistic with new features, including workshops, keynote sessions and open dialogues that enable participants to network with their peers and discuss environmental, cultural, and technological elements that impact the distribution sector and its various initiatives. It also provides a platform to forge partnerships and direct sales between publishers and distributors.

The conference will feature representatives from major publishing houses around the world, including Penguin Random House, Wonder House, Austin Macauley, Bonnier/Igloo, Kogan Page, Pan Macmillan, Difference Engine, MMS, Avicenna, Bookland Press, Lightning Source, Aseer Alkutoob, Estifan, Alshamel, and Dar Amnah, who will provide inspiration for the sector’s development.

Through 18 curated workshops during the two-day event that brings together experts, distributors, and publishers, the Bookseller Conference will evaluate the realities of book and creative content distribution, explore new distribution and marketing mechanisms, and empower participants with the latest knowledge and industry practices.