São Paulo – Brazilian literature will be represented at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, from April 25 to May 1, in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The Brazilian Publishers League (LIBRE), which represents the country’s independent publishing companies, will have an institutional stand at the event, after an invitation by the organization.
Plus: the organization’s director of international relations, Mariana Warth, will be a speaker, presenting the Brazilian publishing market, the independent publishing companies, Libre itself and the platform Nuvem de Livros (Cloud of Books) – a type of virtual library developed by Brazilians, which charges a monthly fee for the access to many publications. “It’s like the ‘Netflix’ of books,” explains the director, mentioning the video and movie streaming service.
This will be the first Brazilian participation in the emirate’s book fair. “We always focus on the most traditional fairs, such as Bologna and Guadalajara. Two years ago, we began to get closer to the Abu Dhabi organization, until the invitation came, opening an opportunity to an institutional participation,” says Warth.
Warth says that LIBRE’s stand won’t sell any books. The purpose is to promote Brazilian authors to publishing houses from the Middle East and North Africa, by far the largest crowd in the fair. “There’s a major unfamiliarity from both sides, it’s hard to find an author that crosses the barriers and is successful on the other side. Going there, we can strengthen these ties and keep a more effective contact,” said LIBRE’s director.
The director’s schedule hasn’t been set yet, but she plans to hold meetings with Arab publishers. Warth said she knows some people in some of these countries, such as Syria, and she wants to set up meetings with executives from publishing houses and organizations from other countries to establish closer ties.
Regarding Nuvem dos Livros, a Brazilian venture, the idea is to expand the internationalization strategy. Warth said that the platform’s already available in Spain, Cape Verde and should be launched soon in Portugal, while there are ongoing negotiations with China and other markets. “We can supply the platform with publications from Arab publishing houses also,” she remarks.
LIBRE’s delegation will travel to Abu Dhabi next Tuesday (24) and will return the day after the end of the fair. The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair will he held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, from April 25 to May 1, from 9 am to 10 pm, except on Monday (27), when the gates will only open at 4 pm.
This year, Poland is the fair’s guest of honor. The event is expected to have 1,320 exhibitors from 65 countries.
Quick info
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
From April 25 to May 1
Venue: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
Further information: http://www.adbookfair.com/
Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
