Doha – HBKU Press will be attending the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy with its newly updated catalog from March 6-9. Though HBKU Press maintains a frequent presence at several major literary fairgrounds throughout the European region, it has since developed its capacity within the world of rights exchange, which ensures that HBKU Press titles reach new geographical zones with each passing season. At the Fair, HBKU Press will be engaging with its publishing peers for communications, rights agreements, creative networking, and strategic trade. It will be managing its own booth at the Bologna Fair for the first time this year.

“The aspect of rights exchange is one which is integral to our operations,” explains Bachar Chebaro, Executive Director of HBKU Press. “Book fairs such as these allow critical opportunities for networking with other publishers and houses worldwide and provide the platform for our catalog and our writers to be part of a cross-cultural movement as we meet professional creative individuals, buy and sell the rights of our own books, and globalize our catalogs.”

In the trading of book rights, HBKU Press ensures that its unique, educational, and often heartwarming stories get told to young audiences around the world, offering new perspectives and voices to readers in an increasingly expanding selection of languages. Similarly, it is also here where HBKU Press takes the opportunity to practice discernment and acquire new books for translation and sale to local markets and readers. Currently, the publishing house translates stories and books from several major world languages, including Arabic, English, French, Turkish, Japanese, and more.

Through engaging with international markets and their representatives such as those present at the fair, HBKU Press safeguards its position as a major publisher on the world map, steadily increasing its brand recognition and reputability. As a renowned Qatari publisher, HBKU Press strives to produce as well as disseminate quality Arabic literature which strengthens linguistic capabilities of readers and learners of all ages. In attending the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, HBKU Press focuses on younger readers and curious learners, facilitating the worldwide effort to reinstall the love of reading, learning, and developing in children and young adults. 

HBKU Press consistently strives to cultivate a full range of titles which span across various literary genres and reading levels; as such, HBKU Press is attending the Bologna Fair with its complete, new catalog for the year 2023. This includes the aforementioned children’s catalog, which offers colorful tales to developmental resources to aid in reading, vocabulary building, and nonfiction awareness. The expanding Young Adult (YA) category similarly caters to readers with active imaginations, introducing several new YA authors and series additions to continuously building worlds. Notably, HBKU Press publishes educational material made accessible and entertaining to young adults, helping support the sustained love of learning through its nonfiction titles. Finally, HBKU Press boasts a catalog sure to interest adult readers interested in advancements made in the fields of medicine, education, social development, and more, among non-fiction categories.

Those who prefer to indulge in literary escapism, however, need not feel left out either. HBKU Press publishes a wide range of original fiction novels introducing new stories and authors, and translates beloved classics in various languages from regions around the world.

HBKU Press continues to position itself as chief storyteller of Arab-inspired tales to younger readers just beginning their reading journey, or those who are inquisitive enough to seek literature and knowledge from the region. Whether entertaining or educational, the children’s catalog seeks to cater to a wide palate of literary tastes through language that is accessible, engaging, and mindful of the reader at heart. 

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For further information and press inquiries, please contact Rima Ismail (rismail@hbku.edu.qa) or Nada Habayeb (nhabayeb@hbku.edu.qa).

ABOUT HBKU PRESS

Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press (HBKU Press) launched its program in 2010 as a world-class publishing house founded on international best practices, excellence and innovation. HBKU Press strives to be a cornerstone of Qatar’s knowledge-based economy by providing a unique local and international platform for literature, literacy, scholarship, discovery and learning. Headquartered in Doha, Qatar, HBKU Press publishes Fiction and Non-Fiction titles for adults and for children, and academic and reference materials. HBKU Press aims to promote the love of reading and writing by helping to establish a vibrant scholarly and literary culture in Qatar and the Middle East.