Markus Dohle is the former global CEO of Penguin Random House. This past summer he was announced as one of the international members of the new board of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA). He spoke with us prior to the fair about his new role. [related]
What motivated you to join the board of the SBA?
When Sheikha Bodour asked me to join the newly formed board of the SBA I immediately said yes. I feel honored and privileged to further help to grow the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) and the many conferences and public events they organize.
What impact do you think the SBA can have on the international publishing scene?
Over the years the SBA has become an important literary and creative force and institution both in the Arab world and beyond - and the book fair has become one of the most important events in the global book industry. The SBA has also developed an important interface between the international publishing community and the Arab publishing and bookselling world. So I’m excited and optimistic we can further expand its role - both locally
and globally.
Can you tell me what insight you hope to provide to your fellow board members?
I will serve the SBA by providing insights and experience that I have gathered in my thirty years in the international book industry and fifteen years at the helm of the world’s largest book publisher.
What are the challenges and opportunities of selling Arabic books to international audiences?
The challenge of growing the number of international rights deals from smaller and emerging markets is a complex topic with a long history. The decades long investments of the SBA which have resulted in a strong international presence and events will certainly help to grow the international distribution of Arabic language books and their authors. This is a long process but I’m optimistic about the future growth of Arab voices - one example is the very strong presence of international literary agents at the SIBF.
What advice would you give to Arabic authors who are interested in publishing their work internationally?
Try to get represented by an international literary agent who helps with the translation and the submission of your book or manuscript to many publishers in different countries and languages.
What are some of the trends that you are seeing in the Arabic publishing industry?
It’s certainly growing across all categories - which is very good and exciting. We also need to manage expectations in terms of growth. We see different developments in different countries and territories of the Arab world. A very important prerequisite for growth is that we develop a strong production and distribution infrastructure including different sales channels for books - both in physical retail and online. The Arab world has more than 600 million people and is rapidly growing - with that population it is comparable to the size of the Spanish language world. So there is a massive opportunity for growth over the next decades.
Is there something that you feel people get wrong about the Arabic literary community that you want to correct or disavow?
Well, I’m still learning, and in the process immersing myself into the region - what I feel is that there is a very high energy and creativity that will result in sustainable long term growth. And I’m happy to support that growth in the years to come.
