Arab writers are not getting their dues

Kids enjoying a reading session at the Emirates Airlines Literature Festival in Dubai on March 3. Photo by Neeraj Murali.

Despite the growing numbers of Arab writers, there's still a significant lack of efficient marketing and exposure of Arabic literature that needs to be resolved.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, which kicked off on Friday, the festival's director Isobel Abulhoul said establishing a coherent publishing and distribution system in the Arab World is vital to give access to quality books to readers.
"Unfortunately, there's not enough exposure to Arab writers, because the Arabic publishing industry hasn't yet established enough budgets to market work," said Abulhoul, who is also the CEO and Trustee of Emirates Literature Foundation.
She referred to an Arab best-selling author who sold 50,000 copies of his latest book, in comparison to a British author who sold six million copies of her books. "There are huge number of readers in the Arab World, but no publicity, no marketing and no distribution, which makes Arabic books hard to travel abroad," noted Abulhoul.
Such challenges faced by Arab writers will be the center of discussion at the Dubai International Publishing Conference, organized by Emirates Literature Foundation as part of the festival for the first time on March 5-6.  
Abulhoul said, "We need to resolve these logistics because it is no good producing wonderful books if they cannot get to where they need to." The publishing conference will bring together marketing and publishing professionals from all around the world to discuss means of solving book distribution crisis in the Arab World and reflect global publishing trends.
"We hope that through the conference, we look at improving access to good Arabic literature in UAE and the region. It is a process that will take a long time, but we have to start somewhere," she said.
And despite the presence of many translating agencies within the country that help in translating Arab works into different languages, Abulhoul said the core problem of publishing needs to be addressed first. 
"Thanks to the support of Sharjah International Book Fair for example, a lot of Arabic books have been translated. Translating agencies in Abu Dhabi as well translate really important and ancient Arabic work into English. There's a lot going on, but it still isn't enough," said Abuhoul.
Abulhoul also highlighted the importance of encouraging young people to read and write in Arabic, noting that is the language of the country and one of the most-widely spoken languages in the world.
With the increase of Arab writers, which she named as a "great sign," there are some obstacles that hinders its reach to young audiences.
"In 2009, we had 65 writers, of which six were Emiratis. This year, we've got 184 writers, of which 40 are from UAE, which is a huge increase given that UAE isn't a large country. Over 60 of 184 writers are Arab, which is a really good number," she said.
However, she noted, the disparity between the modern standard Arabic used in writing and the spoken Arabic makes it hard to grasp for the young generation. "Many schools in the GCC are also focusing on the English, which weakens the amount of Arabic the children are exposed to. The presence of non-Arab speaking domestic workers at home is also another challenge," she added.
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, set to continue until March 11, gathers this year more than 180 authors from 33 countries, among which 70 writers are from the UAE and Arab World. It has attracted hundreds of students and visitors on its first day, with long queues waiting for book signatures.
The festival will focus on happiness and tolerance strands among other variety of panel discussions and sessions.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai