To protect the Middle East's authors, the world needs to know about them

Authors from the Arab world often lack the global exposure of their counterparts from the West. The National

One might think it should be fairly straightforward to find information about Arab writers and authors based in the region when you work in the literary industry in the Middle East. However, this is not the case.

Whether they are emerging poets ready to burst onto the scene, or powerful new voices in female Arabic literature, finding out who they are, where they come from and what they are writing about can be a frustratingly difficult process.

This may be surprising, as the Middle East is known by many as the cradle of storytelling.

But the desire to read any book starts with knowing that it exists. Unfortunately, a lack of visibility is one of the most significant challenges facing the Arabic literary community, for a variety of reasons.

Simply put, if books cannot be found, they cannot be bought, read and enjoyed. The authors cannot build a fan base, or find translation deals. Furthermore, there is an enormous discrepancy in online visibility between Arab authors and those writing in other languages.

Although Arabic is spoken by 422 million people, making it one of the five most spoken languages in the world, aspiring authors across much of the region often do not have the same access to resources, or the same opportunities as their international counterparts.

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is the largest event of its kind in the Arab world. Pawan Singh / The National

The desire to read any book starts with knowing that it exists

A lack of economic integration is also a problem. The region is characterised by countless small publishers, a fragmented distribution chain across multiple national borders and small marketing budgets. This compounds the difficulties surrounding book releases.

It also makes authors more vulnerable. In any artistic profession, a significant part of securing an artist's intellectual property, and their legacy, is an awareness of the originality of their work. When writers suffer from an insufficient profile, they are left open to exploitation or plagerism. Conversely, when their efforts are made known, they have an easier time gaining legal protection through mechanisms such as copyright.

One of the great revolutions in the literary world during our lifetime, both in terms of building awareness and protecting authors, has been the creation of free spaces on the internet that provide everyone access to information about books. One of the biggest is Wikipedia.

The absence of a cohesive and authoritative presence on these kinds of online platforms means that the works of authors are often not as visible as they deserve to be. And, of course, that affects the protection of their intellectual property – an issue that deserves much attention especially today, on World Book and Copyright Day.

To address this imbalance and put Arab authors on an equal footing with their international peers, the Emirates Literature Foundation launched an initiative called “Kateb Maktub” in December 2020, with the purpose of boosting the number of Arab author pages on Wikipedia, which boasts of more than a billion visitors every month.

Thanks to the commitment of a dedicated community of contributors, Kateb Maktub increased the presence of Arab authors on Wikipedia by more than 500 per cent.

Today, more than 14,000-plus pages about Arab authors exist. These new articles have been viewed more than 224 million times, which represents a 146 per cent increase in views. More than 300 volunteers have been trained on data hygiene, meta data and the foundations for creating accurate high-quality articles online through our many training sessions.

Yet, there is so much more to be done to enrich online presence for authors, in order to create a fair representation of the more than 400 million Arabic speakers and readers all over the world.

This is where the reading community comes in.

A small amount of time invested by lovers of literature will have far-reaching consequences. Enriched information will boost access and interest in Arab authors and stimulate translation opportunities, drive cross-cultural dialogue and help secure invitations for authors to collaborate and speak at book fairs and festivals all over the world.

Now is the time for voracious readers, bibliophiles, bookworms, casual readers and supporters of education to pledge books, authors and copyright. Readers from all around the globe need to join the movement and become Wikipedia editors, gathering and sharing content about Arab authors and books, elevating their profile on the global stage.

World Book and Copyright Day may seem obscure to many, but it is a marker for fans of literature and reading and a time to celebrate much-loved classics, discover new authors, nurture fledgling novelists, inspire young readers and encourage a lifelong love of literature.

Moreover, the occasion presents an opportunity for readers, authors, teachers and the literary community to gain insights into why copyright laws are important. Marked in more than 100 countries across the globe, the day serves to encourage readers and writers alike to come together to play an active role in ensuring that access to literature, and information about authors and books – particularly Arab authors – is available to everyone, while guarding the intellectual and artistic rights of the creative community.

It is my hope, therefore, that the entire ecosystem will help mark a new chapter and usher in a new golden era of Arab literature.