Canon, the German-based printing press manufacturer, is gearing up to make a mark at DRUPA, in collaboration with the UN SDG Book Club African Chapter, at the world’s largest trade fair for the print and packaging industry, taking place from May 28 to June 7 in Dusseldorf, Germany.
The Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Dr. Wale Okediran, made this known in a statement recently.
As part of their participation in the global tradeshow, Canon will conduct live printing demonstrations using their latest machinery, engaging with both new prospects and existing customers, particularly print and communication service providers.
In this collaboration, Canon will print books selected from the Book Club Project’s reading lists and a curated selection of African books. With a commitment to print 500 to 1,000 copies per book, Canon will cover the costs of printing and shipment, ensuring these books reach their respective owners.
Canon places a strong emphasis on the donated books benefiting a good cause, aligning with internationally accepted publishing ethics, and supporting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The selected books are expected to fall within the page range of 96 to 288.
Importantly, Canon seeks no commercial rights to the book titles. The printing giant requires written permission from the rightsholders (publishers or authors) to print the books during the fair, allowing them to distribute a designated number of copies for marketing purposes. This enables Canon to showcase the print quality to their clients.
“Every printed book will prominently feature a “Not for Resale” label, highlighting their exclusive purpose for donation, not commercial resale,” the statement highlighted.
For those interested in participating, Canon invites potential collaborators to submit their books and covers. Once a book is selected, the rightsholder will fill out a printing permission form. Given the limited slots available, feedback is sought by February 7 to plan the next step.
The statement asks those needing more information or inquiries to contact info.africanpublishers@gmail.com, bordersliteratureonline@hotmail.com, or waleokediran@yahoo.co.uk.
The name drupa comes from the contraction of the German words “druck” and “papier,” which means “print” and “paper.”
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