Reflections on World Book and Copyright Day
Last week I was in Tbilisi, Georgia, to witness the handover celebrations for the 21st UNESCO World Book Capital. The socially distanced event rekindled fond memories of Sharjah’s World Book Capital inauguration in 2019, but also reaffirmed my conviction that books and reading have become more important than ever as an anchor amid uncertainty.
This is a historic year for the International Publishers Association (IPA), since we’re celebrating the Association’s 125th anniversary as the voice of publishing in the world. As our 86 members in 71 countries in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and the Americas dust themselves off after the ravages of 2020, this important milestone and World Book and Copyright Day are moments to reflect on the increasing importance of our industry today.
Publishing’s contribution in an uncertain world
As communities around the world locked down, the power of books and reading to inspire, uplift, and transport became clearer than ever. In its promotion of World Book and Copyright Day, UNESCO says that books are ‘… powerful tools to combat isolation, reinforce ties between people, expand our horizons, while stimulating our minds and creativity.’
I couldn’t agree more. But I would add that the way the global publishing industry responded to the pandemic has also spotlighted the social contribution of publishing to the communities it serves.
UNESCO also states that ‘In some countries the number of books read has doubled’.
Confinement was a chance for people to discover, rediscover or indulge their inner bookworm and spend more time reading. Besides enlightenment and enjoyment, millions have understood that books offer something deeper: a sense of connection that is an antidote to solitude.
Reaffirming the value of publishing
Reading culture itself has had a shot in the arm, which is a net benefit for everyone; but how do we maintain this momentum? For its part, the IPA is redoubling its determination to leverage the power of books to inspire hope and build more resilient communities, initially through the International Sustainable Publishing and Industry Resilience (InSPIRe) plan. InSPIRe aims to reinforce solidarity within the global publishing ecosystem so it can better adapt to pandemic-fuelled industry shifts. It’s the spirit of InSPIRe that informed the IPA statement on World Book and Copyright Day (23 April), reiterating the role of publishing, reading, and copyright in underpinning community resilience.
The lessons of the pandemic have been legion, but the starkest among them is arguably how politics and power view publishing’s place in society. Despite the industry’s massive contributions to the pandemic effort — giving free online learning materials to teachers, parents and learners to ensure education could continue; providing free access to many thousands of trustworthy research papers to speed the development of life-saving vaccines — governments around the world nonetheless designated the industry ‘non-essential’.
For authors, booksellers, translators, printers, publishers and countless others who know that books are essential goods, this was a sharp slap in the face. For us, it was also a damning indictment of our deficiency in proving our value.
Unquestionably, our industry must urgently put its collective mind to the task of demonstrating the social contribution of publishing. We have to engage and persuade policymakers, leverage partnerships, and advocate to reach key constituents in innovative ways.
Perversely, while publishers have stepped up to do the right thing, their good intentions have created a Cobra Effect, where the mass overnight adoption of digital formats and transition to remote learning have sent digital piracy surging. So, as we tell the story about the greater value of publishing, we must also be clamorous about the mushrooming threat of digital piracy, because what is bad for publishing is bad for the public.
Crowning World Book Capital 2021: Tbilisi, Georgia
As we celebrated World Book and Copyright Day on 23 April, we also saw Tbilisi crowned UNESCO World Book Capital. Themed ‘Ok. So your next book is…?’, the yearlong program will feature 100 events that explore the use of technology in promoting reading and increasing book accessibility. As the 21st city to be honoured with the distinction since 2001, when World Book Capital was adopted at UNESCO’s 31st general Conference, Tbilisi follows Kuala Lumpur (2020) and my home, Sharjah (2019).
Tbilisi’s tenure is the third time the World Book Capital has taken place under the cloud of COVID-19. In April 2020, as the global pandemic was taking hold, Sharjah wrapped up its year-long World Book Capital celebration by handing the title to Kuala Lumpur in an online closing ceremony. For me, this moment highlighted humanity’s interconnectedness: the hopes, fears, vulnerabilities and destinies we share. More poignantly still, it drove home the power of books to help us all overcome challenges.
Innovation in adversity
Having returned from Tbilisi, I’m inspired by another example of an IPA member innovating and adapting amid adversity. Facing the likely cancelation of the Tbilisi International Book Fair in 2020, the Georgian Publishers and Booksellers Association (GPBA) hosted it virtually, with coverage live streamed on social media. The event enabled publishers to sell books online and encouraged many GPBA members to adopt digital business strategies, some for the first time. This is one reason why technology plays such an important role in Georgia’s World Book Capital program this year.
The Georgians’ ready adoption of innovation and technology made me see how national publishers associations will need to adapt, just as publishers need to build digital competencies to accommodate the new normal. This is an important opportunity for publishers associations to digitize national book fairs, develop online transactional marketplaces for members, and monetize supply chain information sharing. It’s vital they develop alternative non-dues revenue while supporting broader publishing market digitization trends. I can also see room for providing alternatives to international book fairs and rights trading events in response to ongoing safety concerns about travel and increasing acceptance of doing cross-border business online.
I look forward to whatever the future brings, and I’m encouraged by the stronger relationships that publishers will forge with libraries, teachers, technology companies, regulators, logistics providers, and other adjacent stakeholders, to weather whatever comes our way. I also look forward to writing global publishing’s next chapter together.
