8 mentors guide women in publishing at Sharjah event

PublisHer, the global platform founded by Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi to advance women in publishing, is connecting participants at the 16th Sharjah Publishers Conference with eight mentors through a three-day programme combining individual guidance, workshops and professional photography.

Running from 1 to 3 November at the PublisHer Lounge at Expo Centre Sharjah, the programme offers access to expertise across essential strategic, editorial, technological and professional industry learnings; insights that will facilitate the growth and advancement of women across the global publishing industry. Two opening-day workshops focused on digital presence and networking, while daily “Meet a Mentor” sessions allow participants to seek advice relevant to their careers and businesses.

Eight mentors across three sessions

Across the three-day event, the Meet a Mentor programme brings professionals with experience across different publishing markets and disciplines together with women keen to get first-hand knowledge and learning from industry peers. The eight mentors are Amy Joyner, Rights and Licensing Director at Kogan Page Publishing; Mercy Kirui, Publishing Consultant and Rights Agent at Tai AfroPress Ltd; Nermin Mollaoğlu, Founder and Literary Agent at Kalem Literary Agency; and Nadia Wassef, Co-founder of Diwan Bookstore and PublisHer Advisory Board Member, Rosidayati Rozalina, Founder and Director of MCL Publisher; Latoya West-Blackwood, Founder of iPublish Consultancy Jamaica and Founder and Director of Jamaica Book Festival; Searsha Sadek, Founder and Chief Product Officer at Shimmr AI; and Elizabeth Briggs, Publishing Director at Saqi Books.

Their specialisms cover a wide spectrum of knowledge and professional experiences including copyright acquisition, international rights sales, emerging and underserved publishing markets, and distribution and market access for African literature.

Dignitaries pose for a group photograph during the professional development programme organised by PublisHer at the 16th Sharjah International Publishers Conference in Expo Centre Sharjah.

Participants can also seek guidance on bookstore management, cultural curation, strategic partnerships, company development, AI-assisted book discovery and team leadership. Together, these mentors have generously donated 16 hours of their time to supporting their fellow publishers in their professional endeavors.

The programme schedules two half-hour mentoring sessions on each of its three days, for a total of 32 mentorship appointments.

Digital presence and professional networking

Zaina Khaled, Storytelling and Executive Communications Advisor, Public Speaker and Former TikTok MENAT Lead, led the opening-day workshop “The 10 S’s Method: From Stories to Social Influence”.

Drawing on a framework developed through 13 years of work in media and on social platforms, the workshop addressed storytelling, simplicity, safety, statistics and scale.

It focused on helping participants define their digital identity, communicate authentically and connect with their audiences.

Freelance journalist Olivia Snaije led “It’s Not About the Business Card: The Art of Meaningful Networking”. The workshop covered practical techniques for making introductions, asking better questions and building rapport, with an emphasis on developing professional relationships beyond an initial meeting.

Daily professional photography

Professional photoshoots are also available on all three days, giving participants the opportunity to have headshots taken by a professional photographer for use in their professional profiles. The sessions complement the programme’s focus on helping women communicate their expertise and strengthen their visibility within the industry.

Founded by Sheikha Bodour in 2019, PublisHer works to strengthen women’s representation, professional growth and leadership across publishing. Through mentorship, learning and networking, it connects women across markets and career stages and supports their progression towards leadership and decision-making roles.

Earlier, Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), said: “In Sharjah, we have always believed that our industry’s true resilience lies in cross-border solidarity. A challenge keeping a publisher awake in one corner of the world has often found a creative answer in another.”

Addressing the guests and attendees of the 16th annual Sharjah International Publishers Conference, she further noted that while publishing operates within an accelerating age, she looks ahead with steady optimism because, “every time this industry has been challenged, publishers have not simply survived. They have adapted, reimagined their craft, and built new bridges to their readers.’’

During the conference, the SBA announced a $300,000 translation grant to support publishing houses and literary agents and promote the translation of intellectual and literary works between Arabic and other languages.