The General Secretariat of the Arab Forum for Children’s Book Publishers has announced the opening of nominations for the 2027 Arab Forum Annual Award for the Best Children’s Book. The nomination period will run from September 1 to November 15, 2026.
This year marks the 14th edition of the Award, which is open exclusively to member publishing houses. Each year, three books are selected across the Award’s three categories to receive the Award.
The following books won the Award in the previous edition:
The General Secretariat of the Arab Forum for Children’s Book Publishers organized, on August 18, 2026, a professional seminar for Forum members entitled “Challenges Facing Children’s Book Publishers: Production and Distribution Obstacles.”
The seminar brought together a group of specialists in the field of children’s book publishing and addressed the key challenges facing Arab publishers throughout the production and distribution stages of children’s books, as well as possible approaches to addressing these challenges and overcoming obstacles that hinder the growth and development of the sector.
Participants discussed a range of issues related to the realities of children’s book publishing, beginning with production challenges and costs, and the selection of appropriate content and topics, through publishing and marketing mechanisms, to the difficulties of distribution and reaching readers. They also presented a number of proposals and solutions that could contribute to strengthening the presence of children’s books and supporting Arab publishers.
The seminar featured Dr. Mohamed Sayed Abdel Tawab, writer, critic, and Publishing Director at Nahdet Misr Publishing House; and Ms. Hadeel Maqadi, Executive Director of Al-Yasmine Publishing House – Jordan. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Mohamed Fathi, writer, academic, and General Supervisor of Arjouna Publishing House – Egypt.
The seminar was attended by approximately 30 publishers from members of the Arab Forum for Children’s Book Publishers, in addition to a number of writers and illustrators.
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qassimi, President of International Publishers Association, invited African publishers to participate in the third session of the African Fund for Innovation in Publishing, which includes grants totaling USD 800,000, provided by “Dubai Cares” over a period of four years in cooperation with International Publishers Association, stressing that despite the challenges that Corona pandemic has imposed on the book industry, publishers have an opportunity for a fresh start.
This has been announced during the meeting of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qassimi, with a number of members of Ghana Publishers Association and a group of local publishers, as she discussed with them, during her recent visit to Ghana, opportunities to enhance the future growth of the African publishing sector by taking advantage of the changes imposed by Corona pandemic at the global level.
Ghana's visit was done within a series of visits by the President of the International Publishers Association to a number of African countries, during which she would meet major institutions and companies of publishing industry in Africa, in order to promote dialogue and exchange knowledge and experiences and discuss the challenges faced by publishers. Sheikha Bodour believes that achieving these endeavors will pave the way for developing global partnerships and diversifying business models in the publishing industry.
During the meeting, Sheikha Bodour Al Qassimi shed light on the diversity of educational solutions in Africa, the opportunities provided by virtual education, the tendency of millions of African students to online education, in addition to the great opportunity for African publishers to have a new beginning. During the visit, the President of the International Publishers Association met the members of African Publishers Network and invited the most prominent stakeholders and concerned entities in the publishing industry to cooperate with the International Publishers Association and explore the existing opportunities.
The Sharjah Book Authority has unveiled the second edition of the "UAE Book Fair", which in cooperation with the Emirates Writers' Union will be staged for five days from 20 to 24 April at the authority's building in Al Zahia area, involving 10 publishing houses that are featuring thousands of publications by UAE writers and editors. The fair welcomes visitors and readers from April 21 from 9pm until 1am, in a spirit of Ramadan, with a packed cultural program of dialogue and discussion sessions, poetry and literary evenings. The fair, via the publishing houses taking part and the program of events, brings together Emirati writers and publishers, and affords readers the opportunity to get to know the new local cultural landscape and its publications. The fair comprises publications from Emirati publishing houses in various fields of knowledge and literature. Publishers specializing in fiction and academic books will have special pavilions.
Sharjah Book Authority Chairman Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri explained that the fair personifies the tremendous development in the country's publishing sector, presenting an opportunity for those who wish to follow the vibrant Emirati cultural and creative scene through the newly emerging local publishing movement. It cements Sharjah's position on the book-producing map and interest in knowledge worldwide."
