The Sharjah Booksellers Conference opened with an unambiguous message: the publishing industry is putting a strain on the planet and it cannot be ignored.
The issue of sustainability needs the immediate attention of industry professionals, Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, founder and chief executive of Kalimat Group and immediate past president of the International Publishers' Association, said in her keynote speech.
“The impact of the book industry on the environment is a profound risk to our industry, just as it is a risk to the planet’s ecosystem,” she said.
“While we don’t have all the answers right now, we must act fast. We must act together.”
She said the UAE had been collectively working on issues related to sustainability, leading several environmentally conscientious initiatives and programmes.
The country will also be hosting the UN Cop28 climate summit in November.
Sharjah’s Bookseller Conference will also have a part to play. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the event may not be the most glamorous of the emirate’s rich literary calendar, but it also may be its most consequential.
The two-day conference is being held at the Expo Centre Sharjah until Tuesday. It brings together 400 booksellers from 69 countries, along with publishers and authors.
As 2023 has been dubbed the Year of Sustainability, the conference provides the opportunity to reflect on the environmental impact of the industry and to propose initiatives that, Sheikha Bodour said, “could radically change the way we produce and distribute books".
“No single publisher, bookseller or stakeholder from our ecosystem can face this challenge alone,” she said. “Collaboration is critical, now more than ever.”
Sheikha Bodour also touched on the advances that artificial intelligence is making in the literary realm.
While still in its early stages, she warned that the technology is growing at an incredible speed and will probably leave its mark in the literary world.
“Over 200 e-books have already been published with ChatGPT listed as their author,” she said. “It's like a scene from a sci-fi movie, but here we are, it’s reality.
“While it's difficult to predict exactly how generative AI will impact the book industry, it's clear that it has the potential to bring about radical changes in the way books are written and published.
"We need to stay ahead of the curve and find ways to strengthen our industry and our processes.”
Despite these issues, there is still much to celebrate. The industry, as a whole, is continuing to grow, Markus Dohle, former chief executive of Penguin Random House, said at the conference.
“This is the best time in publishing and books since Gutenberg invented the printing press some 600 years ago,” Mr Dohle said.
He also gave several reasons as to why there is still good news for publishing, despite the widespread belief that books are in decline.
“The size of the global revenue for books is growing every year,” Mr Dohle said. “That means that every year, consumers around the world spend more money on books than the year before.”
Stable business models for physical and digital distribution are also bolstering the industry’s growth.
“We have reached a healthy coexistence between the physical and digital formats of our industry. Almost 80 per cent of our sales is in physical format, of course varying across several territories.”
The fact that print has prevailed has been the “life insurance” for publishers and retailers alike, Mr Dohle said, while acknowledging that changes must be made to address the environmental effects of the industry.
The rising global population, as well as a sharp increase in literacy rates, are also contributing to the industry’s growth.
“The world population grows by three or fourth per cent every year,” he said. “But even more importantly, literacy rates are going through the roof.
"So each year, we have more people on the planet, of which many more people can read.”
An ever-more global supply chain, coupled with the growth of e-commerce, has made it possibly to distribute content like never before.
“We can reach audiences in three to four seconds digitally, and in three to four days physically,” Mr Dohle said.
He said the booming young adult and children’s books genres has helped the overall industry flourish.
Mr Dohle said it was the fastest-growing category in the past “25-plus years since Harry Potter was published".
Finally, audiobooks had also opened up new avenues, ones that allude back to oral traditions of storytelling.
“It goes back to the old campfire experience,” he said. “Listening to story is in our DNA, we come with it.
"Audiobooks give our readers for reading minutes, because we can do other things while listening to a good book.”
For more information, visit bookseller.ae
TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
MATCH INFO
Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:
Al Ain 2 Al Duhail 4
Second leg:
Tuesday, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha. Kick off 7.30pm
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
More coverage from the Future Forum
What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The%20specs
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more from Janine di Giovanni
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
6 UNDERGROUND
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
