Emirati Kalimat Group and French Publisher Gallimard Collaborate to Promote Cultural Exchange

As part of its long-term mission to build communication bridges between the Arabic language and other languages of the world and to position UAE as a beacon for  cross-cultural values, Kalimat Group has signed an MoU with leading French publisher Gallimard. The agreement aims to cement Kalimat Group’s role as an ambassador for literary arts, classic storytelling and inspirational diversity, not just for the emirate of Sharjah and the UAE, but for the entire Arab world

Signed by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group and Hedwige Pasquet, President of Gallimard Jeuness, in the presence of Antoine Gallimard, President Gallimard House and Madrigall Group, and Tamer Said, Managing Director of Kalimat Group, the MoU is considered by the two parties as an invaluable stepping stone for Arabic and French readers to experience new genres and insights which have previously been closed to them because of language barriers.

The collaboration will see the companies exchanging the same number of books to be published each year, with Kalimat Group translating Gallimard’s works into Arabic and Gallimard reciprocating by translating Kalimat Group’s titles into French. Starting with 10 books from each publisher’s list, the project will include books for children, young adult novels, fiction and comics.

Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat Publishing Group, said: “Since its inception, Kalimat Group has been keen to extend the reach of Arabic literature and culture through a commitment to enhancing cultural exchange and intellectual dialogue between nations. It has published a number of titles which encourage communication with others and has created strategic partnerships with a host of elite global publishing houses.”

Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi pointed out that Gallimard’s impeccable record of innovation in the field of international publishing will be instrumental in achieving Kalimat’s vision, which aims to promote Arab culture globally and to forge new communication channels for cultural exchange by translating titles to and from Arabic and French.

Hedwige Pasquet, President at Gallimard Jeuness said: “The Editions Gallimard Jeunesse are carried by people sharing the same demanding ideal — authors, illustrators, translators, designers and editors — and the same ambition to put the best of imaginary, artistic creation and knowledge into the service of children and teenagers. This partnership with Kalimat will contribute to the reciprocal enrichment of our cultures through young readers, an essential investment to prepare the world of tomorrow."

The new partnership is the latest in a series of high level ventures and initiatives from Kalimat Group, which recently teamed up with Quatro, the global illustrated book publisher, and more recently Bloomsbury, the leading worldwide publishing house in similar agreements.

Since its founding more than a century ago, Gallimard has achieved recognition as one of the most prolific and influential publishing houses in France. Its catalogue includes a number of writers who have received the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Pulitzer Prize.

Sharjah-based Kalimat Group holds a number of leading imprints in Arabic literature publishing under its umbrella, with its driving force being progress through innovation. The group is comprised of Kalimat - the first publishing house in the UAE dedicated solely to publishing and distributing high quality Arabic children’s books targeting children up to 16 years old - and Horouf, which was established in 2013. Horouf is dedicated to publishing printed books and smart applications that offer a modern integrated education system in the Arabic language and is the first-of-its-kind venture in the Arab World. Horouf’s solutions aim to pioneer a fresh, fun, and future-oriented approach to Arabic education that will build and develop the capacity of students.

The latest additions of Kalimat are ‘Rewayat,’ specialised in chapter books targeting adults and young adults and ‘Maktaba,’ a literary café that has been designed to offer a unique environment that enriches the passion of reading.