Literary event writes new story

Beijing International Book Fair sees record-breaking deals and strong global demand for Chinese titles, Yang Yang reports.

Over five days, the 31st Beijing International Book Fair drew readers, writers, translators, and publishers from around the globe — 110 countries and regions — each person carrying their stories. Some came to discover, some to share. And many came simply to listen — to voices rising from across time and borders, stitched together by ink and paper.

The fair was a feast of over 220,000 titles, but even more vivid were the stories exchanged. In quiet corners, hands reached out to clinch publishing deals — 2,800 of them — opening doors for Chinese voices to travel the world. Nearly 70 percent involved outbound licensing, according to official statistics.

For example, Beijing Publishing Group signed copyright agreements with publishers from Malaysia, the Guest of Honor for this year's BIBF, including books about Chinese calligraphy, China's reform and opening-up and Peking Opera. The Malaysian translations of Chinese writer Xu Zechen's Beishang (Northward) and Chinese modernist painter Xu Beihong's book on Chinese ink painting were also launched at the book fair.