UN SDG Book Club African Chapter selects books to be printed in Germany
At the Industrial Print Integration, Europe’s leading event for specialist print technologies, DRUPA 2024 (Messe Düsseldorf, Germany, 28 May – 7 June 2024,) under the theme ‘The Power to Move’, Canon highlighted key partnerships and initiatives that demonstrate the power of collaboration to drive positive change and create experiences that enrich lives and businesses. In line with its Kyosei philosophy of living and working together for the common good, Canon is partnering with a number of businesses and charities and will donate 20,000 books produced during drupa to a variety of causes.
Partnerships for good
Canon Printworks presented information about a number of charitable partners that Canon is supporting through the donation of around 20,000 books. These include the UN SDG Book Club African Chapter, which helps children with a reading list to familiarize themselves with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) Book Club African Chapter has selected the books to be published by Canon, as shown in the video showcasing the books selected for the Canon donation drive at DRUPA 2024 and the interview with Samuel Kolawole (former Chairman, African Publishers Network) conducted by Tino Wagelein of Canon Europe at DRUPA 2024 on 28th May 2024.

Mr. Olatoun Gabi-Williams, Founder, Borders Literature for all Nations, Publicist, UN SDG Book Club African Chapter, Borders is a founding partner of the UN SDG Book Club African Chapter has sent an appreciation message to Authors & Publishers Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, Karry Were, Thabiso Mahlape, Agatha Akonor-Mills, Chigozie, Anuli Mbadugha, Elvis Klaye, SLWS Publisher and Professor Egara Kabaji for their contributions of books.
One of the chosen books is (The Road to Shamawes), a novel by Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, Egypt, first published in Arabic (2007), translated into Korean and published in Seoul (2008), and the AsiaN has published it as a series in English a decade ago. Its Korean version was one of the reasons to nominate its author for winning the prestigious Korean Manhae Prize in Literature (2014).

The organizers of this African literary initiative are African Publishers Network (APNET), Borders Literature for All Nations, Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA) , Pan African Booksellers Association (PABA) and United Nations Information Centre, Namibia.
World Unseen
Across the stand, visitors could see many of Canon’s key collaboration activities, including: World Unseen, at the center of the Canon stand is ‘The Core’, offering visitors an immersive, multi-sensory exploration of print’s emotional impact and how technology and expertise converge to create imaging experiences that can enrich lives and businesses. The Core brought to life Canon’s ‘World Unseen’ initiative with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and invited visitors to experience images, shot by renowned photographers, in a unique and inclusive way (see separate press release).
Printworks B2B partnerships
The ‘Printworks’ area of the Canon stand was about ‘People, Planet and What’s Possible’. Visitors could gain inspiration from exploring the various strategies Canon customers have adopted for successful sustainable growth with projects such as ‘Creative Futures’. This annual project showed Canon collaborating with ‘The Drum’, a global publisher for the marketing and media industries, and other selected expert industry partners. UK-based start-ups were invited to compete for the opportunity to accelerate their marketing through an individualized, omni-channel strategy and print campaign. This year’s winner, Bower Collective, a provider of natural household and personal care products in reusable packaging, had its products and story on display on the Canon drupa stand.

Another initiative within Printworks is Publishing 2030 Accelerator which was focused on bringing about meaningful global progress on sustainability in publishing. Visitors learnt more about Canon’s collaboration with this publishing industry initiative, born out of Canon’s Future Book Forum community, and how Canon is playing an active role in scoping out the conditions for success for a Distributed Printing Network, which could propel the whole industry forward and slash the carbon footprint of every book sold.
Jennifer Kolloczek, Senior Director, Marketing & Innovation, Production Printing, Canon EMEA, commented: “Images, literature and music enrich lives and we believe that these experiences should be accessible to everyone. Canon has and supports a range of initiatives aimed at fulfilling this ambition and we’re proud to showcase and raise awareness of these causes on our stand at drupa 2024. They are all examples of how we live our corporate philosophy of Kyosei – living and working together for the common good. Through a range of partnerships, we’re working to inspire positive changes for the broader print sector and beyond.”
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