When asked about the challenges of selling world translation rights of Arabic fiction, one’s first response is naturally always focused on the potential acquirers. It is a fact that Arabic is not widely read in the international publishing industry, and this indubitably has consequences on the access non-Arab publishers have to Arabic literature

For the 30th year, Sharjah is getting ready to welcome its international book exhibit. Starting on November 16th through the 26th, readers in the Emirates will be able to attend talks, events, and buy books from all over the Arab world and more.

Starting tomorrow, Thursday May 13, 2011, Khaled Khalifa is on a tour in Europe for the launch of his book ‘In praise of hatred’, coming out in three languages at the same time.

Between 2008 and 2009, the book’s rights had been sold in six languages. Two years later, the book is finally out in three of them: French (Sindbad, Actes Sud), Italian (Bompiani) and Dutch (De Geus), while we still eagerly wait for the English (Transworld, Random House), Spanish (Lumen, Random House) and Norwegian (Minuskel) versions to come out.

Wandering what the reception the press and the readers will reserve to this dense and intense story, we can only be struck by the coincidence of the book’s publication in the West and the current events in Syria.
In praise of hatred is the story of the Syrian regime’s repression of the Muslim brotherhood in 1982, told through the eyes of a religious and activist young woman. The protests started last March are the first time the Syrian people dare defy the regime so massively in thirty years.

Abu Dhabi’s international book fair opens its doors today.
The 21st edition of the fair features a cultural focus on France and a market focus on Korea.

Beirut book fair’s opening is scheduled for this evening, as officials make speeches and honor its alleys.

If you’re in Beirut for the book fair, do not miss Jabbour Douaihy’s conference on December 13th, at 7:00 pm, room#1 at the BIEL conference center.