Lubacha Deus, a second-year Master of Arts student in Global African Studies at The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, participated in the fifth annual Sharjah Booksellers Conference, held on September 19–20, 2026, at Expo Centre Sharjah.
Organized by the Sharjah Book Authority, the conference brought together booksellers, publishers, distributors, and other industry professionals to exchange knowledge and discuss developments shaping the book sector.
Deus, who is from Tanzania and specializes in Afro-Arab Relations, is a published author who works closely with booksellers and publishers in his home country. His participation provided opportunities to explore connections between his academic studies and publishing practice and to develop contacts for potential research and professional collaborations.
During the conference, he engaged with the Abu Dhabi-based TRENDS Group, whose publications include strategic research and scenario-based analyses across political, economic, social, and technological fields. He also met representatives of ATAFEAL Publishing House to learn about its literary publications and support for authors and illustrators.
Deus attended roundtable sessions including “Be Seen, Be Heard: Building Your Professional Visibility” and “Beyond the Shelf: Building Demand for Physical Books in the Digital World.” These discussions explored professional visibility and approaches to sustaining demand for physical books in an increasingly digital environment.
“These interactions significantly enriched my studies and research, particularly as I seek to build strategic partnerships with leading think tanks and international organizations that produce diverse publications in areas directly relevant to my work,” Deus said.
“The conference thus offered both conceptual insights into the future of bookselling and practical contacts that can strengthen my research networks and publishing collaborations in Tanzania and beyond.”
