Publishers Discuss: Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals

Chua Hong Koon (Singapore)

Hong Koon is the Publishing Director at World Scientific Publishing Company. He has more than 40 years of publishing experience working with major publishers like Pearson and Oxford University Press. He is a board member of Singapore Book Council (SBC) and the Copyright Licensing and Administration Society of Singapore (CLASS).

Linda Tan Lingard (Malaysia)

Linda is managing director and publisher of Integra Creative Media Sdn Bhd (ICM). As one of the founders of ICM, she has grown the company to a leading children’s book publisher in Malaysia specialising in picture books. In 2021, the company established the Museum of Picture Book Art in downtown Kuala Lumpur. She is the President of the Children’s Picture Book Association of Malaysia and an executive committee member of the Malaysia Book Publishers Association.

Lisa Lyons Johnston (Canada)

Lisa is the President and Publisher of Canada’s leading children’s book publisher, Kids Can Press, part of the Corus Entertainment family, the recipient of the 2017 Bologna Prize for Best Children’s Publisher, North America, and a signatory of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Publishing Compact.

At Kids Can Press, Lisa oversees all publishing operations and the stewardship of signature brands, including the award-winning CitizenKid global issues collection. In 2020, CitizenKid Television debuted as an acclaimed climate change documentary special with Lisa as an Executive Producer. Lisa has led the company’s diversification beyond traditional publishing into new revenue streams.

Moderator Emma House (UK)

Emma is an international publishing consultant. She has over 20 years experience in the global publishing industry and is the former Deputy CEO of the Publishers Association (UK), and held senior positions at the London Book Fair before setting up her own consultancy. Emma is a Board member of the PublisHer initiative established by Bodour Al Qasimi to improve gender equality in publishing, and a trustee of the Publishing Training Centre UK. She is a regular moderator and speaker at industry events. She is a passionate traveller and reader.