For rights managers and publishers, the fair represents a rare, concentrated marketplace for Arabic-German exchange: three days of stands, seminars and networking sessions covering translation, digital literature and Gulf fiction.
Berlin is hosting the fourth Al Diwan Arabic Book Fair, running 16-18 October at the Estrel Berlin with more than 110 publishing houses from the Arab world and Germany exhibiting.
For rights managers and publishers, the fair represents a rare, concentrated marketplace for Arabic-German exchange: three days of stands, seminars and networking sessions covering translation, digital literature and Gulf fiction.
Institutional roots
The fair is the flagship event of Der Divan – Das Arabische Kulturhaus, a cultural centre in Berlin-Zehlendorf that has promoted intercultural dialogue since its founding in 2017.
Notably, it was the first Qatari cultural centre established outside Qatar, opened by the Qatari Foreign Minister during the Qatar-Germany Year of Culture in 2017.
The first Divan book fair followed in September 2023, making this 2026 edition the fourth in just four years – a rapid growth trajectory that signals genuine (sorry! AI word!) institutional demand.
Qatar’s cultural diplomacy
Qatari voices feature prominently this year. Novelist Shamma Shaheen Al Kuwari, winner of the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel, appears in a seminar on digital literature and contemporary publishing, while Qatar National Library director-general Ibrahim Al Buhashim Al Sayed discusses cultural institutions as bridges for dialogue.A dedicated session spotlights Qatar’s maritime heritage with researcher Mohammed Al Sayegh and traditional artist Omar Bu Saqer.
For publishers tracking Gulf markets, this programming underlines how state cultural bodies are pairing literary export with heritage narratives.
The Riwaq Prize
The opening day hosted the inaugural Riwaq Prize for Science and Culture, a joint initiative of Divan and the Orient-Institut Beirut. The prize honours outstanding monographs on Arab cultures and societies in three language categories – Arabic, English and German – each endowed with €1,000. Its English-language jury includes Marilyn Booth (University of Oxford) and Fred Donner (University of Chicago), lending it immediate scholarly credibility.
Beyond the programme
Other highlights include a conversation with Abdo Khal, winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, and the concluding event of the “Treasures of Knowledge” Arabic manuscripts series, held with the Berlin State Library.
The View From The Beach
For the trade, the fair’s significance lies in its dual audience: Arab-German publishers seeking rights partnerships, and Germany’s Arabic-speaking diaspora, whom Divan explicitly aims to connect with heritage publishing – including children’s books to support Arabic-language learning. A book fair built on both commerce and community is worth watching.
This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.
