Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, President of the International Publishers Association, is passionate about education, specifically for children (IPA).

She sees children as a barometer, a beacon for the evolution of literature. Regrettably, many children do not have exposure to books, which is a disturbing factor. These children's imaginations are sparked by books.

Conflict and war, present stumbling hurdles for children who wish to learn. Besides that, inadequate digital infrastructure, an absence of a robust library network, and undeveloped or non-existent publishing are some of the major reasons why many populations have little access to books.

Taking that into consideration, Sheikha Bodour has issued a clarion plea to close the gaps in book accessibility for children all across the world, emphasizing that literacy can change lives.

She was speaking during a panel discussion organized by the British organization Book Aid International as part of the online version of the London Book Fair, which took place from June 21 to July 1, 2021.

Books have an important part in improving language and critical thinking abilities as a fundamental learning resource.

She was addressing at the 'Closing the Gap: Why Access to Books Matters for Children Around the World' event. Members of the panel included Sarah Odedina, Editor-at-Large at Pushkin Children's Books and co-founder of Accord Literary; Pam Dix, Chair, IBBY UK; Alison Tweed, Chief Executive, Book Aid International; and Sita Brahmachari, among the most fascinating and significant speakers in contemporary children's literature who won the prestigious Waterstones Children's Book Prize in 2011 for her debut novel, Artichoke Hearts.

Bodour Al Qasimi emphasizes the subject of continuous learning to solve the skills gap in the publishing industry in another panel discussion produced by Book Machine.

She said that new business models were critical to catching pace with the industry's fast rate of growth. Guidance from a mentor and information exchange between colleagues are effective learning processes because it broadens the large picture for team members, according to Bodour, who is one of the four renowned publishing executives on the panel at the session themed, ‘Leading the Way in Book Publishing.'

The IPA President also urged publishers to collaborate here on basis of respect, trust, and transparency to set the stage for creativity in the publishing industry, contributing that future challenges can be resolved if publishers can strike the right balance between current market needs, current trends such as technology, and willingness to take risks.

During the inaugural edition of BolognaBookPlus, Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi reaffirmed her conviction in the publishing industry's vital importance for cultural, social, economic, and educational advancement across the world.

BolognaBookPlus, a new venture which will operate concurrently with the Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF) from June 14th to 17th, 2021, in its completely online version this year, aspires to captivate a broader professional audience throughout the worldwide publishing business. The IPA President, who co-chaired the event with Richard Charkin, Founder of Mensch Publishing, described the 125th anniversary of the IPA as a significant milestone to the publishers, leaders, and professionals in attendance, contributing that publishing predates the IPA by several centuries, a notification of how long the business has been here.

Sheikha Bodour highlighted even during the full-day seminar, headlined "Forging Forward: The Pandemic and Interruption or an Opportunity to Rethink," that despite numerous interruptions, publishing always has adjusted and developed to remain a foundation of humanity's cultural growth.

She highlighted the need of bolstering and strengthening the industry's resilience to pressure and turning problems into opportunities with the proper attitude, talent, and toolset. Sheikha Bodour shone a spotlight discussion with multi-literary prize winner, scholar, and public speaker Elif Shafak early in the day's program, discussing important issues surrounding the pace and complexities of a shift in global publishing industry and routes to ensuring its safe future.