Page 13 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL7

The foundation of reading culture is built through parents reading to their children, which is why I decided to write a series of colourful and interac- tive puppet books designed for parents to share with their little ones. The books introduce children to a range of animals, teaching them about their habitats, the sounds they make, the food they eat, and more. These are the kind of books I was looking for when I was getting ready to welcome my first child into the world, and I am proud to have been able to make my own small contribution to the Arabic children’s library.Do publishers in the UAE face any issues concerning the freedom to publish?I am happy to say that the UAE’s publishing laws and regulations are on par with any in the world. The publishing industry is growing rapidly and ourpublishers are maturing quickly. I must however note that respect for people’s religion and beliefs is very important in the UAE, so anything that disre- spects religion is not encouraged.Do you think that works by Thai writers and illustrators would appeal to UAE and Middle Eastern readers?I certainly believe so. The UAE welcomes cultural diversity. We are home to nationalities from all over the world and love to explore the cultures of others. The people of the Emirates are well travelled and appreciate new experiences and I am sure that books from Thailand would be well received.How does the digital transition affect the UAE publishing industry? Does it face similar issues to those discussed at the IPA Congress, such as emerging e-book platforms,online piracy or the monopoly of book retailers?The digital transition is definitely impacting the UAE’s publishing sector, although perhaps not quite to the same extent as in the rest of the world. One has to bear in mind that the UAE publishing sector, while growing rapidly, is still a young industry. This youth brings its own set of challenges, but also opportunities. Online piracy is not yet a major concern, for the simple reason that Arabic publishing has not seen a major transition into digitization. This does not mean it will not be a problem in the near future; however, it does offer us the opportu- nity to develop solutions proactively. The same holds for most of the other concerns that have been arising in terms of increased digitization.Elite+ 11