Latest news with #BuenosAiresInternationalBookFair
Gulf Today
15-06-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
EPA expands its international network
As part of a strategic vision to strengthen international cooperation and enhance the UAE's presence in global publishing, the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) is expanding its international network through key participation in major cultural events in Latin America. Beginning with the Buenos Aires International Book Fair and continuing with a series of high-profile literary and professional gatherings in Rio de Janeiro-UNESCO's World Book Capital for 2025-these efforts reflect the UAE's growing role in global publishing and its commitment to building cultural bridges. In June 2025, the Association is undertaking a broad programme of activities in Brazil. Its delegation is participating in four major publishing events in Rio de Janeiro, including the Rio International Book Fair (13-22 June), the largest literary public event in Latin America. Other engagements include the 6th Professional Journey, the Rio International Publishers Summit and the PublisHer Summit, which champions women in publishing leadership. This comes as UNESCO recognises Rio under the theme 'Rio de Janeiro Continues to Read.' During the 6th Professional Journey, organised by the Brazilian Book Chamber, the EPA-represented by Amira BuKdara, co-founder of Ghaf Publishing and Library and President of the EPA Board-is taking part in a meeting that offers Emirati publishers opportunities to engage with buyers and professionals in the Portuguese-speaking market. The programme includes discussions on rights exchange and translation. The EPA is also attending the Rio International Publishers Summit, organised by the Brazilian National Syndicate of Book Publishers, which brings together global experts to explore publishing technologies, audiobooks, reading promotion and women's empowerment. The delegation is additionally taking part in the PublisHer Summit, which features panel discussions with female publishing leaders across generations, highlighting success stories and the challenges facing women in the industry. The visit to Brazil follows a successful participation in the Buenos Aires International Book Fair 2025 (22 April-12 May), where Riyadh was the Guest of Honour. In Argentina, the EPA held strategic meetings with stakeholders in the cultural and publishing sectors, including representatives from the Fair's Board of Directors, publishing associations and officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture. The meetings explored opportunities for greater cultural exchange and mutual participation in international initiatives. WAM
Mid East Info
13-06-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Emirates Publishers Association Expands Global Footprint Through Strategic Latin American Engagements in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro
As part of a strategic vision to broaden avenues of international cooperation and enhance the UAE's presence on the global publishing map, the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) continues to expand its international network through two key participations in major cultural events in Latin America. Beginning with the Buenos Aires International Book Fair and extending to a series of prestigious literary and professional events in Rio de Janeiro—UNESCO's World Book Capital for 2025—these engagements underscore the UAE's growing role in the global publishing sector. These strategic participations reflect the capacity of the UAE's publishing industry to build cultural bridges with the world. They also reaffirm the Association's commitment to opening new horizons for Emirati publishers to exchange expertise with their counterparts across continents and to forge promising connections with one of South America's most important publishing markets. Rio Reads… and the UAE Takes Part June 2025 marks an intensive programme of activities by the Association in Brazil. Its delegation is taking part in four of the country's most prominent publishing-related events in Rio de Janeiro, including the Rio International Book Fair (13–22 June)—the largest and most influential public literary event in Brazil and Latin America. The delegation is also participating in the 6th Professional Journey, the Rio International Publishers Summit, and the PublisHer Summit, which is dedicated to empowering women in publishing leadership. This participation takes place during a year when UNESCO has named Rio as the 'World's Book Capital', under the theme 'Rio de Janeiro Continues to Read.' Professional Platforms and Strategic Engagements During the 6th Professional Journey, organised by the Brazilian Book Chamber, the Emirates Publishers Association—represented by publisher Amira BuKdara, co-founder of Ghaf Publishing and Library and President of the Association's Board—will participate in an exclusive meeting. This platform offers accompanying Emirati publishers the opportunity to meet with buyers and professionals from the sector, as well as to schedule one-on-one meetings aimed at expanding the presence of Emirati publishing in Portuguese-speaking markets. The programme features a series of lectures and discussions on rights exchange and translation. The Association is visiting the Rio International Publishers Summit, organised by the Brazilian National Syndicate of Book Publishers, which gathers a distinguished group of publishing experts from around the world to address key industry topics such as publishing technologies, audiobooks, reading promotion, and women's empowerment. Additionally, the Association is attending the PublisHer Summit, held in collaboration with the Syndicate, which features panel discussions highlighting the success stories of women in the book industry and the challenges encountered by female leaders in publishing. The summit brings together influential women from across generations who are shaping the future of the sector. Buenos Aires: A Successful Visit The Association's presence in Rio follows a successful visit to the Buenos Aires International Book Fair 2025, held from 22 April to 12 May, where Riyadh was the Guest of Honour for this edition. During the visit, the Association's delegation held a series of strategic meetings with key stakeholders in Argentina's publishing and cultural sectors. These included talks with the Fair's Board of Directors, representatives of publishing associations, and officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture in Buenos Aires. The meetings explored avenues for enhancing bilateral cultural cooperation and increasing mutual participation in international fairs and initiatives. Enriching Cultural Exchange: Commenting on the Association's participation, Amira BuKdara, President of the EPA Board stated: 'Our engagement in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires marks a significant step in our ongoing efforts to strengthen the global presence of Emirati literature. Participating in major international gatherings—both professional and public—opens up new opportunities for collaboration, translation, and co-publishing. It also allows us to share Arab stories with a broad and diverse audience. We firmly believe that cultural exchange plays a vital role in the book industry, and these events offer us the chance to be active contributors to the global publishing scene.' She added: 'Through this initiative, we aim to explore opportunities for translating Arabic content and bringing it to audiences who speak a different language but share our passion for books and knowledge.' New Horizons: These participations represent a strategic opportunity to strengthen cultural ties and pave the way for Emirati publishers to integrate into diverse new markets. They also reflect the Emirates Publishers Association's vision of establishing the UAE as a central hub in the global publishing industry, while promoting cultural and intellectual exchange between the Arab world and Latin America—celebrating diversity and amplifying the voice of the Emirati publisher across new frontiers.
Saudi Gazette
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Saudi Gazette
Riyadh Pavilion opens at Buenos Aires Book Fair 2025
Saudi Gazette report BUENOS AIRES —The Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission inaugurated the Riyadh Pavilion as the Guest of Honor at the 49th Buenos Aires International Book Fair, which will hold from April 22 to May 12, 2025, in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. The Riyadh Pavilion aims to strengthen Saudi Arabia's cultural presence in Latin America and introduce Riyadh as a modern, forward-looking capital city that embodies the transformations of Saudi Vision 2030. The pavilion features diverse literary and cultural content, including works translated into Spanish to help build cultural bridges. The CEO of the Literature Commission, Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Wasil, emphasized the importance of cultural cooperation as a civilizational tool for building bridges and enhancing international relations, highlighting the strong ties between Saudi Arabia and Argentina. Kristine Raïnon, President of the Argentine Book Foundation, spoke on the significance of the Buenos Aires International Book Fair as a cultural platform that brings together nations and civilizations, promoting values of peace and international understanding. He noted that choosing Riyadh as Guest of Honor enhances the prospects for cultural dialogue among peoples. Throughout the fair, the Riyadh Pavilion will showcase the creative diversity and cultural identity of the Saudi capital through a comprehensive program featuring literary seminars, panel discussions, poetry evenings, and live performances. The pavilion also includes a manuscript and book exhibition, as well as a section dedicated to Saudi publications translated into Spanish, supporting the global reach of Saudi literature. The pavilion houses several themed sections that highlight the richness and diversity of Saudi heritage, including a live crafts corner, a heritage replica exhibit showcasing traditional Riyadh architecture, cultural and theatrical segments, and a reception area designed in the Salmani architectural style. Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore aspects of daily life in Riyadh through a dedicated area featuring traditional fashion displays, accompanied by Spanish-language descriptions. The delegation includes the Theater and Performing Arts Commission, Heritage Commission, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur'an, the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah), the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, the King Abdulaziz Public Library, and the King Fahd National Library. The goal is to present a Saudi cultural window to the audience from Argentina and around the world. The Buenos Aires International Book Fair is one of the largest cultural events in Latin America. Since its inception in 1975, it has established itself as a leading platform for publishing and knowledge exchange, attracting over one million visitors annually.
Miami Herald
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
What I remember most from my many interviews with Mario Vargas Llosa
When I once asked Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa how he wanted to be remembered after his death, he told me, 'I have done many things in my life, but I would like to be remembered mainly for my literature.' Fair enough — he was one of the greatest Spanish-language writers of all time. But many of us will also remember the Peruvian-born novelist, who died April 13 in Lima at age 89, for his political activism in support of fundamental freedoms. He was one of the most politically-active, best-selling authors in recent times, whether that meant criticizing the dictators of Cuba and Venezuela or President Trump's threats to democracy in the United States. Unlike many famous people who fear antagonizing part of their audiences, Vargas Llosa always spoke his mind. He understood better than most that the big ideological battle nowadays is not between right and left, but between democracy and dictatorship. He was also one of the most courageous intellectuals I have known, often taking personal risks to support his causes. In 2014, when he was 78, he traveled to Venezuela to support the opposition against the Nicolás Maduro regime. He had already traveled to Venezuela in 2009, and was briefly detained at the airport by the regime of Hugo Chavez. In 2011, when he visited Argentina to speak at the Buenos Aires International Book Fair, protesters who were angry about his criticism of the Nestor Kirchner government threw objects at the bus where he was being transported to the event. He was not hurt. In one of more than half a dozen interviews with him over the years, when he was 83, I asked him what his secret was to remain fully active, and why he was taking so much time and so many personal risks to support his political causes. At his age, with his fame, he could be spending his time traveling around the world receiving honorary degrees and giving speeches wherever he wanted, I commented to him, only half-jokingly. He answered that it was part of his philosophy of remaining active on all fronts until the last day of his life. 'This is a way of life that, for me, is deeply stimulating,' Vargas Llosa told me. 'I don't get tired, even when I get tired, because I have the incentives to stay alive.' Retirement was never an option for him. 'Perhaps the saddest spectacle I've seen has been the people who stop living while they're still alive. That seems something terrible to me,' he told me. Death should come as something unexpected, 'a surprise' in the normal course of one's life, he said. When I asked him what he meant by that, he told me the story attributed to ancient Greece's great philosopher Socrates. Cautioning that he didn't know whether the story was true, 'but it's a wonderful story,' he told me that when the soldiers went to carry out Socrates' death sentence by forcing him to drink hemlock, Socrates was learning Persian. When somebody said to him, 'But they're going to kill you,' Socrates responded: 'Yes, but I'd like to die learning Persian.' Vargas Llosa added, 'It's a wonderful case in which death appears as an accident that interrupts a life that is in its fullness. I would like to die with a pen in my hand.' He told me he worked seven days a week, especially in the mornings. He never opened a Twitter account, and struggled with technology. 'I'm one of the last writers who still writes with ink and paper,' he said. When I asked him if his literature was mostly the product of talent or discipline, he answered it was discipline. 'I discovered from a very young age that I wasn't a genius, and that I had to replace my lack of genius with discipline, with work, with obstinacy .' Vargas Llosa will no doubt be remembered, as he wanted, as an extraordinary writer. But many of us will never forget his support for democracy and freedoms around the world. We will miss you, Mario! Don't miss the 'Oppenheimer Presenta' TV show on Sundays at 9 pm E.T. on CNN en Español. Blog:
