Finalists Announced for debut Sharjah Rights Connection Awards

Multiple applications received  from 14 countries around the world for its inaugural edition

Frankfurt, Germany, October 22, 2022

In the presence of Bodour Al Qasimi, International Publishers Association (IPA) President, the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) announced the shortlisted nominees for the debut edition of the prestigious Sharjah Rights Connection Awards, launched earlier this year to honour the leading contributions of rights professionals in promoting the global publishing industry.

Thirty-three applications were received from 14 countries in the two categories of the award. The nominations in the first category of an individual professional selling translation rights at a publishing company are:

● Elle Brenton-Rounding, Bonnier Books UK LTD, UK

● Gabriel Nieto, Editorial Planeta, Mexico

● Ahmed Mohamed Mohamed Rashad, Al Dar Al Masriah Al Lubnaniah, Egypt

The selected nominees in the second category of independent professionals or those working with specialised agencies to sell the rights to books publishers and other licensors are:

● Benas Berantas, Book Smugglers Agency, Lithuania

● Aoife Lennon-Ritchie, The Lennon-Ritchie Agency, South Africa

● Mauro Spagnol, Books-Everywhere, UK

The shortlist was announced at a reception dinner on the side-lines of Frankfurter Buchmesse 2022.

Describing the response to the award's debut edition as truly amazing, the SBA Chairman added: “Over the past decade, SBA has been proud to put rights trading at the centre of our activities as a fitting reflection of its role at the core of the publishing industry. Protection of copyright and related rights of creators is vital to disseminate knowledge and ensure the sustainability of the global publishing industry, and we are delighted to turn the spotlight on their leading contributions through the new Sharjah Rights Connection Award.”

Al Ameri further noted that the awards offer a forward momentum to Sharjah's successful 40-year journey to add value to our collective existence as a global human race by strengthening cross-cultural dialogue and knowledge exchange, in line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.

For his part, Mansour Al Hassani, Director of Publisher's Services at SBA, said: “The award had received 33 applications from 14 countries in the two categories of the award, with the highest number of applications from Egypt, India and the UK.”

He added that entries were also received from the UAE, Albania, Argentina, Argentina, Canada, Finland, Germany, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, and South Africa.

Winners will be revealed on the concluding day of the SIBF Publishers Conference, which takes place from October 30 - November 1, in the lead up to Sharjah International Book Fair 2022 November 2nd and runs until November 13th in Expo Centre Sharjah. The event expects a huge turn-out after breaking the record to become the world's largest international book fair last year.