Books in Persian Publishing Group participated actively in the 14th Sharjah Publishers Conference, held from November 3–5, 2024, at the Expo Centre Sharjah. Serving as a prelude to the 43rd Sharjah International Book Fair, the conference brought together over 1,065 publishers and representatives from 108 countries, establishing itself as one of the most significant professional publishing events in the Middle East.
During the three‑day conference, the Books in Persian delegation held meetings with 23 distinguished publishing houses from various countries, presenting a curated selection of the group’s published works. These meetings, aimed at establishing sustainable cooperation in copyright exchange and translation rights, involved discussions on translating works reciprocally into Persian and other target languages. The negotiations were met with enthusiasm from participating publishers, leading to preliminary memoranda of understanding for future collaboration.
A central focus of Books in Persian’s presence at the conference was presenting comprehensive information about collaboration opportunities with Iranian publishers. Drawing on the group’s successful track record in translating and publishing works from Chinese, Turkish, and Arabic into Persian, international publishers at the conference showed remarkable interest in publishing their works in Persian through this publishing network. This response reflects the growing stature of Iranian publishing on the international stage and the confidence global publishers place in the quality of translation and production delivered by Books in Persian.
The 14th Sharjah Publishers Conference featured a diverse programme, including specialised workshops on the latest publishing technologies, artificial intelligence, audiobooks, and digital distribution strategies. Other notable segments included the Rights Connection Award supporting innovation in translation and publishing rights, and the “Heya Al Talia” initiative supporting women leaders in publishing. Books in Persian leveraged these educational and networking opportunities to enhance its expertise in international publishing and copyright negotiations.
Emphasising the importance of maintaining year‑round communication and information exchange, Books in Persian outlined long‑term cooperation plans with multiple publishing institutions during the conference. Based on the agreements reached, preparations for notable works for the next conference cycle are now underway, with expectations of presenting an expanded collection of translated works in the coming year. This effective participation marks another step forward in realising Books in Persian’s vision of building a lasting bridge between cultures and literatures through multilingual publishing and cultural exchange.