Sharjah International Literary Agency names new director to lead mission to develop publishing industry in the Arab world

Sharjah International Literary Agency (SILA) has named one of UAE’s foremost publishing executives, Tamer Said, its next director, opening a new chapter for the ambitious rights exchange and literary translation body.

Since its creation in 2020 by Sharjah Book Authority under Chairperson Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, SILA has boosted communication between publishers, authors, translators, illustrators, and other stakeholders, and helped transform numerous works for global consumption. SILA also ensures publishers’ and writers’ rights are protected, stimulates the Arabic publishing market, and promotes Arabic literary and cultural content globally.

Said’s priorities will be to escalate the agency’s rights and translation initiatives across the Arab world, increase its penetration into the cultural and scientific fields, and promote cross-cultural literary enrichment to the benefit of the regional publishing sector.

He said: ‘This is an exciting time to be joining Sharjah International Literary Agency, which was set up during the pandemic but is now really starting to make its mark. There’s growing demand for Arab content around the world, just as Arab readers are hungry for international works. SILA will address these demands and develop a dynamic cultural pipeline to nourish and expand the Arab publishing sector while introducing more international readers to Arab culture and literature.’

Previously, Tamer Said was Managing Director of Kalimat Group for more than 12 years where he helped the company grow by taking the group’s publications into new markets worldwide, and by building a robust partnership portfolio with multiple international publishing houses.