The Fate of the Book in the Age of Globalization

Abstract

This intervention discusses the fate of the book within the context of globalization and the technological and cultural transformations affecting book production and circulation. It argues that the book has not lost its intellectual function despite the emergence of new reading and reception formats, such as electronic books, audiobooks, and multimedia resources. The intervention addresses several themes, including the characteristics of the traditional book, the role of visual and editorial design in contemporary publishing, the challenges of translation and authorship in the Arab world, and the impact of modern media on the reader’s relationship with the text. It concludes that the challenge is not the disappearance of the book, but the ability of Arab societies to develop book production, expand reading, and use technology as a support for culture rather than a substitute for it.