All books in phase one of Sharjah’s '1001 Titles' initiative on shelves

The 1001 Titles initiative of the Sharjah-based Knowledge with Borders, KwB, which is dedicated to supporting the publication of original Arabic language books by UAE-based publishers, has announced the successful completion of phase one. In the two years since it was launched in 2016, the project has published 1,001 first-edition Arabic titles on a variety of subjects and in many genres.

The announcement was made at the 1001 Titles pavilion at the Sharjah International Book Fair, SIBF 2017, which is currently celebrating its 36th edition at Expo Centre Sharjah.

Majd Al Shehhi, Manager of the initiative, said, "At 1001 Titles, we continually work towards furthering the cultural and intellectual achievements of the Emirate of Sharjah. Thanks to the unparalleled support of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and President of the Emirates Publishers Association and Head of the KwB Organising Committee, the first phase of the initiative has been a big success and we have reached our target of publishing 1,001 new high-quality Arabic titles.

"We are gearing up to launch the initiative’s second phase in the first quarter of 2018, where the next 1,001 titles will include 301 by local authors, and 700 by publishers that are members of the Emirates Publishers Association, EPA. With an estimated budget of AED5 million, the second phase will be implemented in 2018 and 2019. Emirati authors and publishers are welcome to submit their applications directly to the initiative’s management," she added.

The first titles of the initiative included 775 children and young adult books, 165 on literature, 20 books on human development, nine on religion, six on law, four on poetry, three on administration, two on history and 17 others on miscellaneous topics.

The initiative’s allocated budget of AED5 million was distributed among participating titles, which were funded either partially or entirely based on their quality and importance. The initiative also provided marketing and publicity services to authors and publishers at book fairs, as well as local, Arab and international cultural festivals.

In April 2017, the 1001 Titles initiative launched a consultancy service for publishers in collaboration with Deaifis Advocates and Legal Consultants to provide UAE-based local and regional Arabic publishing houses with consultancy and support, and strengthen the legal environment for the publishing sector in the UAE.

It includes a package of premium consultancy services, most notably drafting and reviewing author contracts, provision of legal consultancy on copyrights, and conflict resolution regarding issues of intellectual property rights.