Support offered to publishers in the hope more will pick up a book and start reading

Emirates Publishing Associatoin has vowed to support writers hoping to see their work apear in print.

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Publishers are winning support from the Emirates Publishing Association in a bid to encourage more writers to get their books into print.

Supporting the publishing industry will also encourage more people to read, with more books written about Emirati heritage and culture, it is hoped.

A meeting held between the EPA and its members has helped develop a clear strategy for improving the nation’s publishing industry.

It examined a range of ideas to contribute to developing the publishing sector, conducive to the birth of creative and intellectual works to boost the UAE’s knowledge production.

"We, at EPA, believe in the importance of the written word, its role in achieving cultural development, and creating a knowledge-based society,” said EPA Vice President, Ali Al Shaali.

“Our development strategy is perfectly aligned with the UAE’s goal to make reading a way of life here within the next decade.”

The meeting explored ways to tackle the current and future challenges facing the publishing sector here, and underlined that despite the considerable attention given to culture and education in the country, the publishing industry here still faces numerous challenges.

The 2016 National Law of Reading emphasised the importance of supporting the dissemination and distribution of reading materials.