Bloomsbury Publishing, one of the most renowned names in the international publishing sphere, has announced a new partnership with Kalimat Group, the regional frontrunner in the field of Arabic Literature publishing. This collaboration will see the companies exchange a number of titles for translation each year, with Kalimat Group publishing books from Bloomsbury’s portfolio of titles translated into Arabic and Bloomsbury reciprocating by publishing from Kalimat’s list in English translation.

Starting this year with 10 books from each publisher, the project will involve books for children, teenage fiction and Young Adult novels. The initiative will enable both companies to extend their reach into new markets and will facilitate cultural exchange that will benefit inter-community relations.

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group, said; “Our new partnership with Bloomsbury will be instrumental in spreading the UAE’s and the Arab world’s culture to as wide an audience of children and young adults aspossible. We fully hope that this partnership will enable us to reach a greater number of readers and allow us to spread knowledge about our unique heritage to new markets.”

She added: "This agreement will also open up global culture to children in the Gulf region. By translating a range of Bloomsbury’s publications into Arabic, we will create a new channel for intercultural dialogue and help young people in our region betterappreciate and understand societies outside their own. With Bloomsbury having such a renowned name in the international publishing sphere, there could be no better partner for such an important undertaking.”

“There is a greater need than ever for the transfer of cultural and intellectual information between languages. This venture between Kalimat in Sharjah and Bloomsbury throughout the English speaking world is a way of bringing cultures together. We are excited and honoured to be developing this project together,” said Richard Charkin, Executive Director of Bloomsbury.

Kalimat is dedicated to publishing Arabic children’s books and has a portfolio of internationally-acclaimed authors and illustrators and an extensive range of books highlighting traditional Arabic culture. Kalimat Group is the regional frontrunner in the field of Arabic literature publishing and is dedicated to achieving progress through innovation. It aims to inspire people’s passion for reading through excellence in publishing in a rewarding, creative, and motivated working environment that attracts the best talent in the industry. Kalimat Group is comprised of ‘Kalimat,’ an award-winning publisher of Arabic children’s books; ‘Horouf,’ a first-of-its-kind initiative that offers a modern and integrated educational system in Arabic language and ‘Rewayat,’ which specialises in chapter books targeting adults and young adults.