Fatimah Abbas

Fatimah Abbas is a distinguished international publishing consultant, literary agent, and AI strategist, widely recognised for her expertise as a literary translator and industry innovator. Her publishing journey began in 2014 at the Cairo International Book Fair, where she was entrusted with overseeing the English and French language learning section—an opportunity that sparked her deep and lasting passion for the book industry.

This passion led her to explore every aspect of the profession, culminating in her appointment as Head of External Relations and the Translation Department at one of Cairo’s most esteemed publishing and distribution houses. Since then, Fatimah has translated over 34 literary works between English and Arabic, consistently ensuring linguistic precision and cultural resonance.

Fatimah is the founder of FALA Agency, through which she provides full-spectrum support to authors and publishers, including international rights sales, marketing, distribution, consulting, and printing services. Her influence extends globally, with a focus on bridging Arab markets with international opportunities. In parallel, she served as the MENA Regional Director for an AI company and currently works as an AI strategist—merging her deep understanding of publishing with emerging technologies.

In 2025, she completed the Advanced Publishing Course for Executive Roles at New York University (NYU), further solidifying her leadership in the international publishing landscape.

She has collaborated with the STTAR Institute in Saudi Arabia to create tailored publishing curricula for the Literature, Publishing & Translation Commission, and is currently co-organizing the first digital publishing conference in the MENA region—a pioneering initiative bringing together global voices to explore the future of ebooks, audiobooks, and digital formats.

Fatimah’s work has been featured in numerous international publications, including Publishers Weekly (Sharjah edition), Book Brunch, A World of Words, and All About Book Publishing. Her thought leadership has been recognized by Gulf News and CBS News, and she was shortlisted for the London Book Fair International Excellence Awards in 2021.

She is an active member of the General Egyptian Book Organization (GEBO) and the co-founder and administrator of Publishers Without Borders (PWB), a dynamic network of over 6,000 global publishing professionals.

Fatimah regularly speaks at major industry events including the Sharjah International Book Fair (SharjahReads), Frankfurter Buchmesse’s Signals of Hope, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, and the National Festival of Literature in Malta.

Her social impact initiatives include the “Children Empowerment” programme in partnership with the Kalimat Foundation (UAE), providing access to books and educational materials for children, especially those in need. She is also the founder and host of Cairo Calling, a prestigious fellowship inviting international publishers to the Cairo International Book Fair to foster rights exchange and cultural collaboration.