Work on the digital platform for the Arab Book Fair in Europe is nearing completion
The Arab Book Fair in Europe announced the launch date of the exceptional digital edition of the fair from August 20 to September 4, 2020, followed by a number of exhibitions in European capitals and major cities in Sweden, as part of a series of cultural activities organized by the Swedish company Nordic Digital World and the Qatari Dar Lusail Publishing and Distribution, in partnership with the Copenhagen International Arab Book Fair, Alwan Magazine, ArabiskaBazar platform for marketing Arabic books in Europe, and a number of European cultural institutions.
Regarding the idea of the digital edition of the fair, media professional Alaa Albarghouthy, Executive Director of Nordic Digital World, confirmed that this is an exceptional edition that came about under unprecedented circumstances affecting the world due to the spread of the Coronavirus, which led to the cancellation and postponement of many Arab book fairs worldwide.
The fair's concept focuses on utilizing the digital space to introduce books and publishing houses, while books will be ordered through digital platforms in Europe and the Arab region. The fair management provides free shipping for books to all addresses at competitive prices within Europe. The fair will also be accompanied by a distinguished cultural program, with a group of Arab writers, intellectuals, and researchers participating through the virtual halls of the fair from the Arab world, Turkey, and Europe.
Albarghouthy added that work on the digital platform for the Arab Book Fair in Europe is nearing completion, and the fair team is working with publishing houses on the mechanism for uploading their titles to the platform designated for the fair, which will be primarily used during the first exceptional edition of the aforementioned fair, until conditions improve, and we resume our exhibition activities, which will begin with the second edition of the Copenhagen Arab Book Fair, and a number of exhibitions that will be announced sequentially in Europe and the Scandinavian countries.
Regarding the platform, Albarghouthy confirmed that the fair's platform will provide both print and e-books to visitors. Visitors will browse through the books on the platform smoothly by publishing house and category, and books can be ordered directly through the platform. The fair management will also provide free shipping for print books to all European countries during the fair period. Additionally, 9 exhibitions have been arranged in a number of European capitals and Swedish cities, in partnership with several European institutions, and the detailed schedule of these exhibitions will be announced soon.
It is worth noting that the Swedish company Nordic Digital World previously organized the first edition of the Copenhagen International Arab Book Fair, and it owns the ArabiskaBazar platform, one of the most important platforms for selling and marketing Arabic books in Europe. They had signed a memorandum of cooperation in the fields of publishing, print and digital distribution, and establishing Arab book fairs in Europe, among others, on the sidelines of the Doha International Arab Book Fair 2020.
