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What can regional publishers expect from the Iternational Publishers Association (IPA) con-gress in Bangkok? Richard Charkin, executive director of Bloomsbury Publishing and future president of the IPA, highlights recent industry developments and possibilities in the region and beyond. Responsible for Bloomsbury’s adult publishing activities around the world and an active promoter of international publishing, he is a veritable authority on the industry. Currently an executive committee member of the IPA, a non-profit trade organization active since 1896, he will take over from Youngsuk “YS” Chi as IPA president at the start of 2015. In an interview with Elite+, he shares his insights on the industry and the forthcoming congress, which will be held with support of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand from March 24 to 26.E+: Your extensive working background is admirable. What is your perspective on the content industry in Asia?RC: The publishing industry encompasses many different formats, interests, markets, business models and strategies but it is held together by one objective, to tell the stories of great minds, and one enabler, copy- right. The International Publishers Association represents book and journal publishers’ associations from around the world. Its members are responsible for a vast array of types of publication – for children, school teachers, scientists, novelists, lawyers, businesspeople, naturalists, doctors, English-speakers, non- English speakers, in many languages, in print and in digital formats.Traditionally, the centres of‘Traditionally, the centres of the publishing industry have been in Western Europe and North America but this is changing rapidly as the Asia and Asia-Pacific regions develop their own markets’the publishing industry have been in Western Europe and North America but this is changing rapidly as the Asia and Asia-Pacific regions develop their own markets and publishing expertise and profession- alism. Initially the industry has been served by high-quality and cost- effective print manufacturing. Now we are seeing digital platforms and text processing systems, and important national Asian publishing of thehighest quality serving both local markets and potentially global ones.These new publishers in Asia need to be encouraged to operate as independent commercial organizations in order to grow and thrive. There are great stories from Asia that are waiting to be shared with readers around the world.What is the essence of the IPA congress? Could you explain whatElite+ 5