Istanbul hosts International Islamic Publishing Workshop on Sept 25-27

Istanbul will host the International Islamic Publishing Workshop from September 25 to 27, bringing together more than 200 publishers from 67 countries under the organization of the International Union of Islamic Book Publishers (IUIBP). The three-day gathering, held at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, has secured backing from Türkiye's Presidency of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), positioning the city once again as a hub for cross-border cooperation in the publishing world.

Union marks first major gathering since 2026 recognition

The International Union of Islamic Book Publishers traces its roots to a 2021 founding meeting in Istanbul, when publishers from 30 countries first came together. The body formally attained international-association status in January 2026 under Turkish Law No. 3335, following five years of preparatory groundwork. Its founding board draws members from Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, India, Türkiye, Jordan, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Germany and the UK — a spread reflecting the diversity of the global Islamic publishing market. Membership has since expanded rapidly, reaching 231 publishers from 67 countries within just six months of the union's official recognition.

Wide range of publishing sector figures set to attend

Organizers say the workshop's guest list will extend well beyond publishing houses to include university representatives, non-governmental organizations, book distributors, bookstores, copyright agencies and authors' associations from across the participating countries. More than 30 international institutions are lending support to the event, among them the International Islamic University of Science and Technology in Türkiye, International Islamic University Malaysia, and the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum, alongside major regional book fairs from Indonesia and Kuwait.

Twelve roundtables to shape the future of the sector

The programme opens on Friday, September 25, with an international panel on the role of Islamic publishing in a changing world, followed by 12 thematic roundtable sessions covering areas such as copyright and translation, digital publishing, children's literature, book fairs and publishing standards. Delegates from different countries will use the sessions to identify areas for collaboration, with findings compiled into reports to be shared with the full assembly on the second day of the workshop.

General Assembly and Istanbul Declaration to close proceedings

On Saturday, September 26, the union will hold its Regular General Assembly, where members will discuss future activities and vote in a new board of directors. The gathering will conclude with the unveiling of the "Istanbul Declaration," a document setting out shared goals and priorities for advancing international cooperation in Islamic publishing in the years ahead. Organizers describe the three-day event — spanning panels, roundtables, the assembly and networking sessions — as a foundation for building a lasting international network to support copyright, translation and joint publishing projects across the Islamic world.