The fifth edition of the Sharjah Booksellers Conference, which was opened by Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), brought together 912 booksellers, publishers, distributors and representatives of e-commerce platforms from 99 countries.
The opening ceremony, held on Saturday at the Expo Centre Sharjah, was attended by His Excellency Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of SBA, and board members of SBA, alongside officials and representatives of cultural institutions, publishing houses and bookstores from the UAE and around the world.
The two-day conference addresses practical challenges involved in getting books into readers’ hands – from inventory management and in-store book presentation to e-commerce, digital marketing and demand analysis. It is also enabling participants to exchange experiences from different markets, network, hold direct business meetings and explore models that can help bookstores and distributors strengthen their businesses and connect with wider audiences.
A shared commitment to connecting books with readers
During her keynote address, Her Highness Sheikha Bodour said: “In an era when technology is transforming how content is created, discovered and trusted, what makes a bookseller indispensable? I believe the answer lies in the promise at the heart of our industry: to help the right book find the right reader; to guide people towards books that can inform them, challenge them, surprise them, or simply expand the way they see the world. In Sharjah, we hold that promise dear while staying open to the possibilities and potential of technology.”
Her Highness added: “Our mission is, and will remain, to connect books with readers, and to connect publishers and booksellers across markets, cultures and regions so that ideas and stories can travel further. That is why investing in people and building their capabilities is not optional. It is part of how we prepare this industry for the future.”
PublisHer Pathways programme honours its first cohort
During the opening ceremony, Her Highness Sheikha Bodour, in her capacity as Founder of PublisHer, also honoured the graduates of the inaugural PublisHer Pathways cohort, presenting completion certificates alongside Ian Fairservice, Managing Partner and Group Editor-in-Chief of Motivate Media Group, who collaborated with PublisHer on this milestone project.
PublisHer is a global platform dedicated to supporting and advancing women in book publishing, connecting women across markets and creating opportunities for professional development and collaboration. The PublisHer Pathways programme was created as part of this mission to promote and support women in the early and mid-stages of their careers and enable their transition into leadership roles within publishing and media organisations.
Global perspectives on a changing bookselling landscape
Jaime Daez, Founder and Managing Director of Fully Booked in the Philippines, delivered a keynote speech during which he traced his company’s journey, which started with selling specialist architecture titles, and gradually became a multi-category bookstore business. His story highlighted key lessons in understanding local readers, adapting to shifts in the market, improving store efficiency and responding to the rapid growth of e-commerce.
The bookshop as a haven amidst social challenges
The conference also welcomed Oleksii Erinchak, Founder and CEO at Sens Bookstore in Ukraine, for a discussion moderated by Nadia Wassef, Co-Founder & Board Member of Diwan Bookstore in Egypt.
During the conversation, Erinchak reflected on opening his first bookstore in Kyiv just two months before the full-scale escalation, and how it subsequently evolved into a community space and cultural hub.
Harnessing AI to drive book sales
As part of the conference’s innovation showcases, Lisa Byrnes, Founder and CEO of Charisma Digital in New Zealand, and Sarah Arbuthnot, President of Supadu in the UK, delivered a presentation titled “Maximising Sales with AI-built Websites”.
The session explored how artificial intelligence (AI) can help turn a website into an integrated sales channel. Sarah said: “AI can support booksellers to create the bookselling experience online, help them understand purchasing trends, and the types of books their readers are buying. It can also support customer journeys and help bookstores extend their reach to wider audiences online.”
Voices of PublisHer
The PublisHer Lounge is a key attraction at the Bookseller Conference this year and hosted two insightful panel discussions on the first day. The first session, “Voices from the First PublisHer Pathways Cohort”, brought together the honourees of the programme’s inaugural cohort.
Speakers Fatima AlMugarrab AlMheiri, Mariam Alrefai, Pahal Khanna, Maha Kteish, Jinan Gulshan engaged in conversation with the moderator, Jessica Michault from Motivate Media Group’s Emirates Woman magazine.
The second session, “Beyond the Shelf: Building Demand for Physical Books in a Digital World”, presented by Noor Jarrar, Founder and Publisher of NJ Publishing House in the UAE. It explored the evolving relationship between physical books and digital platforms and presented a range of ideas on engaging readers and building demand for print in an increasingly online marketplace.
The PublisHer Lounge also hosted a professional programme for women in publishing, featuring practical workshops and professional photography opportunities, alongside the “Meet a Mentor” programme where participants could book one-to-one sessions with female industry leaders, ask questions about their career paths, and benefit from practical expertise across management, editorial, marketing, sales and business development.
Workshops and professional meetings to advance practical tools
The conference hosted several professional workshops and roundtables.The workshops covered topics including inventory management and demand analysis, improving in-store book displays, reducing book returns, developing e-commerce, building professional relationships with publishers and authors, and leveraging data and digital tools for marketing and reaching readers.
These hands-on sessions gave participants the opportunity to discuss with experts the challenges facing their businesses, compare solutions implemented in different markets, and explore approaches that can be applied to bookselling, distribution and bookstore management.
The first day concluded offering industry professionals key networking opportunities, and enabled one-on-one business meetings between distributors, booksellers and publishers, providing opportunities to explore potential collaborations and exchange knowledge.
