Growing the Book Business in the Arab World
Date October, 19 2022
Location Frankfurt Book Fair, Congress Center - Level 2
With both potential and challenges, the Arab world presents publishers with a complex business environment.
During the Frankfurt Book Fair, a discussion in collaboration with the international trade magazine Publishing Perspectives, titled “Growing the Book Business in the Arab World” took place on 19 October 2022 with publishers Shereen Kreidieh from Dar Asala Publishing and Sherif Bakr from Al Arabi Publishing and Distributing. The discussion was moderated by Hannah Johnson, Publisher of Publishing Perspectives.
Speakers

Hannah Johnson
Publisher of Publishing Perspectives
![sherif bakr[4] 2.jpg](/media/2025/6/22/tmcpuxfl_sherif-bakr-4-2.jpg?width=240&v=1dbe3be5a2c36a0)
Sherif Bakr
Sherif Bakr has worked in publishing since 1997. Worked in Al Arabi Publishing and Distributing for 25 years now. Al Arabi Publishing and Distributing was founded in 1975, in the last 10 years, Al Arabi started a series #Different_Books with over 200 titles from 55 countries. He worked as General Secretary of the Egyptian Publishing Association where he was responsible for the Development and e-publishing committee for 4 years. Bakr is also elected member of the Freedom to Publish committee in the International Publishing Association, and a member of the Book and Publication Committee of the Supreme Council of Culture in Cairo, and part of the Egyptian Export Council for Printing, Packaging, Paper, Literary and Artistic Works.
![Shereen-Kreidieh[4] 2.jpg](/media/2025/6/22/24bdarpv_shereen-kreidieh-4-2.jpg?width=240&v=1dbe3be5b618250)
Shereen Kreidieh
Shereen Kreidieh founded Dar Asala publishing in 1998, and is the general manager. Dar Asala produces high quality children's books in Arabic. She also teaches children's literature and social work in Haigazian University. She is the president of Lebanese Board of Books for Young Children (Lebanese chapter of IBBY) and member of the executive committee of IBBY international. Previously, she was a member of the Book and Reading Promotion committee in the Ministry of Culture in Lebanon, a member of Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury for 2018, and is an alumna of the International Young Publishers and Cultural Leader programme of the British Council.