Bodour Al Qasimi: I immersed myself in books from a young age...and my father is a wonderful storyteller

Elle Arabia magazine chose Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi's success story as the cover of its January issue.

From the source

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, President of the International Publishers Association, said that as soon as she learned to read and write, she started building her small library at home, and it is something she is still doing to this day.

In response to a question, “Where does your love for books come from?” Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi said, “I immersed myself in books from a young age.

My parents are avid readers and my father is an amazing storyteller.

Experiencing stories and enjoying beautiful prose throughout my childhood meant that I grew up to be an avid reader as well.”

In an interview with Elle Arabia magazine, which chose her success story as the cover of the January issue, and about her literary journey, and about the journey with the “Kalimat Foundation”, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi said, “(Kalimat Foundation) is an initiative close to my heart.

It was a natural step for me in many ways because I believe that ensuring the right to read should be a basic human right, especially for children.

It should never be considered a luxury.

Seeing children in conflict zones, refugee camps, troubled areas in our region, and many parts of the world deprived of books is painful for me as a human being and as a mother.

So we always contribute as much as we can, and I'm happy to say it's been an amazing journey so far.”

In response to a question about how she got into the world of publishing, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi said, “It was by chance.

My youngest daughter refused to read Arabic children's books, preferring English books.

I was worried because reading in the mother tongue is important for children's emotional and mental development.

I found Arabic children's books of the time unattractive to read.

I agreed with her, so I made it my mission to do something about it.

That is why I started the Kalimat group, and so I embarked on the wonderful, complex (and sometimes crazy) world of publishing.”

And about her feelings when she got the presidency of the International Publishers Association, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi said, “It was a surreal moment.

When I started working in publishing in 2007, I knew nothing about the industry, and 11 years later I became president of the International Publishers Association.

I am the first Arab and Muslim woman and only the second woman in the 125-year history of the International Publishers Association, so this was an important achievement.

Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi added, “One of my greatest accomplishments has been raising awareness about the need for more diversity and inclusion in IPA and the publishing industry in general.

The world is a wonderful place full of differences, so the management of such an international federation should not be concentrated in the hands of a few people who are only part of this global industry.

Therefore, I believe that my presidency brought about a shift in mentalities and focused and pushed diversity and inclusiveness towards the center.

And Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi continued, “The book industry is changing now.

The evolution of technology has led to new products and new ideas about how people consume content.

This trend will not stop anytime soon and will continue into the future.

The only challenge I see for publishers is how they will adapt to the ever-changing landscape.”

“We know that change is important and a normal part of the business cycle, but changing business models every two years or so is easier said than done.

I believe that if publishers adopt agility and strong planning in their operations, they should be able to overcome these challenges and create more opportunities.”

• «My daughter refused to read Arabic children's books.

And I found it unattractive.

So I made it my mission to do something about it.”

• “I started working in the field of publishing in 2007, and I did not know anything about the industry, and after 11 years I became president of the International Publishers Association.”

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