MINSK, 9 February (BelTA) – The United Kingdom would like to develop cooperation with Belarus in publishing industry, Douglas Wallace, publisher and consultant with the UK Embassy in Belarus, told BelTA after he attended the roundtable Belarus-Britain. Opportunities for Publishing Business on 9 February.
The expert noted that Belarus is a promising market for British publishers. First of all, readers are likely to be interested in educational books that would be of help in English language learning and organization of the educational process. Besides, there are many interesting books that could be translated into Russian and Belarusian. The British market offers great opportunities for Belarusian publishers.
We should promote better cooperation, build bridges between the two countries, including by strengthening the ties between small and large publishers. The cooperation would give us a better idea of the demand on the market and promote in-demand products, Douglas Wallace believes.
Seonaid MacLeod, a representative of The Publishers Association, spoke about the challenges and trends in the publishing sector. Publishing is a major industry in the United Kingdom with a high annual turnover and a big number of employees. The Association is the leading trade union of British publishers of magazines, print and electronic editions, and audiobooks. It is important for us to enter new markets, Seonaid MacLeod noted.
The United Kingdom is the Guest of Honor at the 24th Minsk International Book Fair, which is running from 8 to 12 February. The UK Embassy holds seminars, roundtables, meetings, lectures, presentations, and contests as part of the forum. The roundtable meeting Belarus-Britain. Opportunities for Publishing Business gathered representatives of Belarusian state and private publishers, the Publishers Association, Belarus' Education Ministry, the Customs Committee, the National Library, and bookstores. The experts discussed prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation, outlined challenges that publishing business is faced with, and considered ways of promoting English literature and Belarusian products on the European market.
Visitors to the fair were also invited to attend a presentation of opportunities for distance learning by the Online English language school. International House held a workshop on international English language exams.
