Sheikha Bodour with members of the Association of Slovenian Publishers and the National Book Agency of Slovenia in Ljubljana.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Slovenia’s outstanding reading culture was highlighted by International Publishers Association president Bodour Al Qasimi in meetings with the Association of Slovenian Publishers and the National Book Agency of Slovenia in Ljubljana – her first overseas engagement of 2022.

In these meetings, Al Qasimi congratulated the local association on being invited as the Frankfurt Book Fair’s guest of honour later this year in recognition of its achievements, and highlighted how impressed she was by the progress of Slovenia’s publishing industry and its vibrant cultural scene.

She said she was very encouraged by the strength of the publishing numbers in the country and pledged the full support of the IPA. She also stated that she was ready to listen to and learn from members so as to understand how they are handling the challenges facing the industry, and their progress and opportunities.

Al Qasimi, now in her second and final year of IPA presidency, told Slovenian publishers that a primary objective of her visit is to identify the needs and expectations publishers have of the IPA, and their thoughts on how to provide further support.

In her term as president, she has met publishers and local publishing associations in several markets in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Last year, the focus was on bringing everyone together to link the industry and join an ongoing consultation about its future.

These discussions and consultations resulted in the creation of the International Sustainable Publishing and Industry Resilience Plan (also known as the InSPIRe Plan) which has been endorsed by many publishing stakeholders including the Federation of European Publishers.

During her meetings, she emphasised that discussions within the industry can be controlled, and solutions found to logistics issues and allied challenges. By working together, publishers can establish a clearer idea of industry vulnerabilities and – most importantly – better appreciate the opportunities that lie ahead.

The IPA is striving to help publishers seize these opportunities by supporting members and ensuring that the global publishing industry bounces back as evenly as possible in every market.

A key element of this support is the creation of the IPA Academy – a virtual training resource designed to help publishers and their workforce bridge skills and knowledge gaps and help those who have yet to adopt technology cope with the digital transformation of their businesses.

The IPA will also continue supporting publishers in terms of copyright protection and the freedom to publish – two IPA pillars – and increase efforts to involve its members in events to discuss updates and explore new opportunities.

Among these is the 33rd International Publishers Congress taking place from November 11 - 13 in Jakarta, Indonesia, when members will hear the latest news from the industry and be able to expand their global network for potential business opportunities.

An earlier report says: In the lead-up to the 40th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), diverse voices representing the global publishing ecosystem have come together for the 11th edition of the three-day Publishers Conference to network and unite industrywide efforts to build a roadmap for post-pandemic recovery.

Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) in partnership with the International Publishers Association (IPA) at Expo Centre Sharjah, the three-day conference began on Sunday, 31 October highlighting the need for stronger stakeholder collaboration and cooperation.

In a keynote address, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, President of IPA, reiterated their commitment to help support publishers emerge stronger from the pandemic.

“As we celebrate the 125th anniversary of the IPA this year, we are reminded of its long-standing role in giving a voice to publishers around the world,” said Al Qasimi, recounting the role IPA has played not just during global crises but throughout history to address key issues like protection of copyright, freedom to publish and the development of literacy, which affect industry stakeholders worldwide.