SHARJAH, 20th September, 2026 (WAM) -- Roundtable discussions at the fifth Sharjah Booksellers Conference explored practical approaches to attracting new readers, strengthening communities around bookstores and creating more engaging experiences.
The conference, organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) at Expo Centre Sharjah on 19th and 20th September, brought together booksellers and industry professionals from international markets.
Andrew Yap, CEO of BookXcess in Malaysia and Co-Founder of Big Bad Wolf Books, led the roundtable “Beyond the Bookworm: How Bookstores Can Win Over Non-Readers”, highlighting the role of store design, atmosphere and simple initiatives in encouraging visitors to spend more time around books.
He said booksellers should focus on expanding the reading audience rather than competing solely for existing readers, noting that measures such as seating areas and complimentary coffee can help make bookstores more welcoming without requiring major investment.
Isabel Cristina Giraldo, Owner of El Retiro de Las Letras in Spain, led “Growing Beyond Your Bookshop: How Independent Bookstores Can Increase Their Impact Without Increasing Their Size”.
She highlighted collaboration within the bookselling community and stronger connections with readers as ways for independent bookstores to expand their impact without increasing their physical footprint.
Other roundtables examined how bookstores can build communities around shared interests and fandoms, promote reading as a wider social movement, use comics to encourage discovery and engagement, and develop children’s literature festivals to cultivate younger readers.
Sessions were led by Steve Jones of Kinokuniya UAE, Ajay Jain of Kunzum Bookstores in India, James Killen of Manga Spot in the United States, and Elena Martinez of Librería Serendipias in Spain.
The discussions reflected the conference’s focus on practical ideas that booksellers can adapt to their markets to attract new audiences, strengthen relationships with existing readers and create more engaging spaces around books.