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UAE publisher in pact to take Arabic literature global

By Pramod Kumar
WAM
Kalimat Group founder and CEO Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi says the partnership will benefit readers in many markets

New York-headquartered publishing company Penguin Random House and Kalimat Group, a UAE-based publisher of Arabic books, have partnered to bring more Arabic literature to readers globally.

The pact will increase the range of titles available in international markets.

The collaboration will initially focus on publishing fiction from their extensive rosters of authors, bringing a diverse range of books and amplifying the reach of these books and authors, state-owned WAM news agency reported.

Through its division in India, Penguin Random House will translate a range of Arabic literary works by Kalimat Group into English and bring them to worldwide markets. 

Additionally, the UAE publisher will translate a selection of titles from the Penguin Random House catalogues in south Asia and southeast Asia into Arabic, making them available to Arabic readers.

Kalimat Group founder and CEO Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, said: “Working together, we can find new audiences, increase the reach of our authors and enrich the international publishing landscape, which is to the benefit of readers in many markets.”

Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO of Penguin Random House India and SEA, added that the partnership will help bring new experiences to readers and widen the scope of translated literature. 

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