Not so long ago, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) was barely on any overseas publishers' itinerary. That changed when KITAB, a joint venture between Frankfurter Buchmesse and the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) was established in September 2006 to manage the event. Radical transformation ensued: ADIBF traded in its outdoor tents for the steel-and-glass Abu Dhabi Exhibition Center and set out to attract exhibitors beyond the GCC region. Two years later, it boasted 637 exhibitors, a third of which came from overseas, compared to only a dozen small European publishers in 2007. PW caught up with Monika Krauss, KITAB's general manager, for a lowdown on the fast-growing fair and the region's book industry.
What are KITAB's biggest contributions to the industry?
Turning ADIBF into a professionally run event at a level not seen before in the Middle East is our biggest success. Prior to 2007, it was a book bazaar like so many others in the region. With the revamped ADIBF, KITAB has effectively turned the spotlight on publishing in the Arab world and its market potential. Building on this success, we have started a series of lectures and workshops for publishers' CEOs and senior managers. Two five-day sessions conducted by lecturers from Munich's Academy for the German Book Trade together with international publishing experts cover such topics as strategic planning, marketing and e-publishing. Nineteen CEOs from eight Arab countries participated in the first session in June, and it was a big success.
What are the major issues in this region's book industry?
The lack of proper distribution channels and book information is critical. Sometimes, even Arab publishers themselves have no information about or access to books published in countries other than their own. This has led to copyright infringement through photocopying or file sharing. The general public is mostly unaware of copyright violations, and this requires education. Moreover, there is the illiteracy issue coupled with the lack of a reading habit in the community.
What is KITAB doing to address these issues?
First and foremost, we have been busy promoting reading. We recently launched the second BookCrossing event, where more than 650 titles in Arabic and English were distributed to the public with a pledge from each recipient that the book, when finished, would be passed on to another person. This, we hope, will stimulate reading and reduce piracy. We have hosted workshops for mothers to highlight the importance of reading to and with their children on a daily basis. We are collaborating with Goethe-Institut and the Swiss embassy to start a Literary Bus Tour, a mobile library that will tour around Abu Dhabi organizing activities such as talks, book signings and readings at schools and public spaces. We will also be organizing small book events in Al Ain and Al Ruwais. In-depth research on the state of distribution, ISBN adoption and copyright protection in the Arab world is also underway to help us chart the next course of action.
What are you planning for ADIBF 2010?
We will highlight one Arab country, which will be Algeria, and hold a one-day cultural focus on India. We will set up an “e-zone” for online publishers and service providers, and organize seminars to introduce e-publishing to the Arab world. The Antiquarian Fair, Gourmand Show Kitchen, Business Lounge and Education Chapter that were held for the first time last year will reappear with better features and more participants. The Business Lounge will be geared to b2b interactions and extended to include a rights center. We will also host popular YA authors with lectures and book signings to attract more teenagers.
What about the Spotlight on Rights program?
It will definitely be a part of the 2010 lineup, as it was one of our most successful initiatives in terms of motivating rights negotiations between Arab and overseas publishers. Rights and related topics will take center stage, as we will be hosting the IPA Copyright Symposium two days before the fair. For the first time, ADIBF will have over 10 international rights agencies participating, all of them keen to identify potential Arab partners. Since working with rights agencies is something new to the Arab world, this will be a great networking opportunity. Arab publishers will also get to promote one bestseller from their lists at our new Rights Showcase, an initiative designed to facilitate rights selling by highlighting the most interesting books from this region.
Are you excited about the IPA Copyright Symposium?
Definitely. It is the first symposium of its kind in the Arab world, and many high-profile speakers will be invited. Besides focusing on the region's emerging markets and sharing insights on the Arab publishing scene with the rest of the world, this symposium will go a long way toward strengthening the conviction to protect copyright and intellectual property in the Arab world.
Where do you see KITAB and ADIBF, say, in 2015?
Our vision is that one day, ADIBF will be a purely professional book fair. But, first, the book distribution system has to change and improve. Once books are readily available throughout the year and not just at book fairs, then ADIBF will become less of a bookselling venue and more of a platform for publishers, distributors, authors and service providers to interact, share ideas and collaborate to further improve the industry. KITAB is fully committed to building the infrastructure necessary to realize this vision. We have achieved a lot in the past two years, but there is much more to be done. Eventually, ADIBF should become an important fair alongside Frankfurt, London, New York and Bologna.
