Dubai International Children’s Book Fair, that is set to hold its first edition in February next year, is drawing significant interest from top global publishers, said an official of The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation.

The book fair is part of the Al Maktoum Foundation’s reading strategy which aims at promoting the love of reading among Arab children.

The Foundation members received good response while attending the three-day London Book Fair 2009, one of the most prestigious events for the international book publishing industry.

Held at Earls Court, the London Book Fair 2009 attracted over 3,000 industry professionals and hosted more than 100 seminars that discussed issues relevant to book publishers, especially children’s literature.

The participation of the Al Maktoum Foundation came as part of a series of initiatives to engage all stakeholders in children’s literature and create awareness about the upcoming Dubai International Children’s Book Fair and to also promote the Foundation’s programmes.

Led by Jamal Al Shehhi, CEO of Dubai International Children’s Book Fair, the delegation held discussions with renowned publishing companies such as Random House and several representatives of literary and cultural organisations, including the British Council, UK Publishing Association, and Oxford Brookes University.

In order to build greater awareness of the publishing industry in the Middle East and forge stronger partnerships between publishers in the UK and the UAE, the team also met the Penguin Group, National Literacy Trust and the Book Trust.

In addition, delegation members took part in seminars dedicated to the publishing and marketing of children’s books during the London Fair that concluded on April 22.

Al Shehhi said: “Our participation at the London Book Fair offered us a wonderful opportunity to interact with several experts in the international book publishing industry and discuss possibilities of collaboration including joint projects.'

'We believe we have successfully achieved our key objective of positioning the Dubai Book Fair among distinctive global book fairs dedicated to children’s literature,' he noted.

'One of the main outcome of our presence at the London event is our discussions with major children’s book publishers who have expressed keen intent to participate in the Dubai Book Fair.'

'We believe partnerships with organizations and individuals who share our vision for the young is crucial for providing an easy and unlimited access to books,' Al Shehhi added.-TradeArabia News Service