The Sharjah International Book Fair Professional Programme will be bringing cross platform innovation in publishing into sharp focus when it hosts an exclusive virtual event with renowned British actor and author, Stephen Fry.
Fry will participate in the Professional Programme via a new video that will launch his global digital storytelling project, YourFry in the U.A.E..
The virtual event to launch YourFry will be hosted by Penguin’s digital development director, Nathan Hull, at the Sharjah International Book Fair Professional Programme, which takes place in the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce.
Launched in the last week of September, YourFry challenges innovative minds across the world to deconstruct and repurpose the words and themes from Stephen’s last two books – ‘The Fry Chronicles’ and the recently launched ‘More Fool Me’.
Speaking about the challenge and Penguin Random House’s decision to launch YourFry at the Sharjah International Book Fair Professional Programme, Ahemd Al Ameri, said: "The YourFry challenge offers an exceptional opportunity for publishers to examine and explore what can happen when creative minds are given free rein to express themselves and to hopefully gain some inspiration towards initiating innovative and imaginative projects of their own.
"Sharjah, the U.A.E., and this region has no shortage of creative and pioneering minds and I believe this project is an excellent opportunity for our local talent to get their voices heard and garner some much deserved international attention. We are extremely excited that Penguin Random House has chosen to launch this project in the U.A.E. at the Sharjah International Book Fair." A collaboration between the publisher Penguin and digital file transfer specialists WeTransfer, YourFry challenges participants to reinterpret and create new ways of telling Stephen Fry’s story beyond the page, through any technology, format, mash up, and through any and all art forms, including text, data visualisation, interactive web formats, apps, films, photography, animation, 3D models or live and experiential creations.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the three-day Professional Programme is organised annually by the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Attended by more than 300 publishers from all around the world, the programme provides a platform for discussing and highlighting in-depth issues concerning the publishing industry that would contribute to enhancing the efficiency and professionalism of Arab publishers, and to further enable them to expand their presence and outreach on the global stage.
The 32nd edition of SIBF, which was held in November 2013, saw the participation of approximately 1,010 publishers and exhibiters from 53 countries, including 23 Arab countries and 30 foreign countries, compared with 942 publishers from 62 countries, including 22 Arab and 40 foreign countries in its 31st edition, which took place in 2012.