Kalimat Publishing, a UAE-based publishing house and an imprint of Kalimat Group, dedicated to publishing and distributing quality Arabic children’s books, recently concluded its participation in the 56th edition of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, which concluded recently in Bologna, Italy.
During its participation, Kalimat successfully enhanced communication with European and global publishers and experts, while shedding light on the strengths and characteristics of Arabic children’s books and the importance of further promoting these books in Italy and across the world.
Kalimat enhanced its engagement by showcasing an array of publications designed for all age groups, from toddlers to young adults, which play a vital role in nurturing children’s knowledge.
Throughout the fair, Kalimat’s delegates conducted meetings with important international publishers from Europe and elsewhere in the world. They also attended conferences, seminars and discussion panels that addressed the contemporary challenges faced by the publishing industry including the impact of globalization and modern technologies on books, and how to make the most of such challenges to benefit the industry.
The delegates also explored the other publications, particularly by European publishers, to select the best of titles that can be adopted in Arabic. It is notable that Kalimat has translated some of its award-winning titles in a number of European languages, as part of its strategy to stimulate cross-cultural dialogue and communication between children from different cultures.
Kalimat is the first publishing house in the UAE dedicated solely to publishing and distributing high quality Arabic children’s books that target children up to 16 years of age. With its rich portfolio of publications, Kalimat focuses on producing books with content that contributes to emphasising human values, such as friendship, simplicity, happiness and family, through creative writing and vibrant illustrations.
Since its inception, Kalimat has achieved widespread presence on the Arab cultural landscape and has won several local awards in recognition of its efforts to advance Arabic children's literature. Kalimat was the recipient of the ‘Best Asian Publisher Award’ at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2016 and the ‘Sheikh Zayed Book Award 2017,’ in the category 'Publishing and Technology’.