Penguin Random House | New Delhi, 08/01/2023

Penguin Random House India Announces Partnership With Kalimat Group

Penguin Random House and the Kalimat Group from the United Arab Emirates will be cooperating closely in the future. Among other things, they want to jointly expand the range of Arabic books on the international markets. To this end, Kalimat titles will be translated from Arabic into English and Penguin Random House titles into Arabic. Further to the partnership, resources and functions will also be jointly leveraged.

Penguin Random House and Kalimat Group, a prominent publisher in the United Arab Emirates, have announced a strategic publishing partnership. The aim is to expand the range of Arabic titles in international markets and make more Arabic literature available to readers in all countries. According to Penguin Random House India, the partnership will initially focus on publishing fiction from the two publishers' extensive author rosters, bringing readers a diverse range of books and promoting the discoverability and reach of these books and authors.

Under the agreement, Penguin Random House India will translate a range of Arabic literary works published by Kalimat Group into English and bring them to worldwide markets. Additionally, Kalimat Group will translate a selection of titles from the Penguin Random House catalogs in South Asia and Southeast Asia into Arabic, making them available to Arabic readers everywhere. The partnership will also leverage the strengths of these companies through resources and functions such as editorial, distribution networks, and marketing. It represents a significant development for the publishing industry, as the partners share a commitment to strengthening the publishing ecosystem, promoting diversity and inclusivity, and providing readers with wider book choices.

‘Increasing appetite for Arabic works and translations’

“We’re thrilled to enter a partnership with one of the biggest names in the world of publishing at a time of increasing appetite for Arabic works and translations,” said Kalimat Group Founder and CEO, and Immediate Past President of the International Publishers Association (IPA), Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi. “Working together, we can find new audiences, increase the reach of our authors and enrich the international publishing landscape, which is to the benefit of readers in many markets.”

Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO, Penguin Random House India and SEA, commented: “Kalimat Group has achieved unprecedented success under the formidable vision, guidance, and leadership of Sheikha Bodour. We are delighted to partner with them as we have long admired the publishing program they have created, one we will continue to build on together. With this collaboration, we are excited to bring new experiences to our readers and widen the scope of translated literature. Literature cannot survive in solitude, and its growth depends on transcending borders set by geography and languages.”

50 original publications translated into other languages

Kalimat Group is one of the leading publishing houses in the United Arab Emirates. Since its launch in 2007, the publishing house is known for its excellent-quality books that range from children’s, and illustrative storytelling to Arabic literary works for adults. Kalimat’s adult literature portfolio includes novels, poetry, self-help, biographies, memoirs, and much more. The publishing group currently consists of five imprints. The oldest publishing house, Kalimat, specializes in publishing Arabic books for children and young adults. It was followed by Horouf, which is dedicated to promoting early Arabic education and improving Arabic literacy among children. Rewayat publishes translated and Arabic literature for adults. Following a strategic partnership with the international Quarto Group, Kalimat Quatro was established to publish and distribute the publications of Quarto-affiliated publishers in Arabic. Comics followed in 2017, to make the entertaining form of illustrated storytelling accessible in Arabic. Since its inception, Kalimat Group has expanded its distribution to more than 15 countries and published more than 500 books, many of which have won Arabic and international awards. The group has published more than 120 books written by some of the most renowned authors in the Arab and international world. More than 50 of their original publications have been translated from Arabic into other languages.