Chinese Publishers Showcase Over 3，200 Titles at London Book Fair

From March 12 to 14， 2024， the London Book Fair was held at the Olympia Exhibition Centre in London. The fair attracted over 1，000 publishing organizations and more than 30，000 publishing professionals from around the world. Chinese publishing entities promoted fine Chinese books and culture through book displays， multimedia presentations， and exchanges between Chinese and foreign experts， enhancing publishing cooperation and cultural exchange.

Diverse Themes and Rich Displays from Chinese Books

With the theme “Reading China，” the Chinese section featured over 50 domestic publishers and book trading companies， planned more than 30 events， and drew numerous professional and general readers from various countries.

Chinese publishers displayed over 3，200 books covering a wide range of subjects， including volumes one and two of Selected Works of Xi Jinping (in both Chinese and English)， the multilingual edition of The Governance of China by Chinese President Xi Jinping， four books on President Xi Jinping’s local work experience， and other works and study materials related to President Xi Jinping. The exhibition also prominently promoted major cultural publishing projects such as the Cultural Revival Library and the Complete Collection of Chinese Painting Through the Ages.

In recent years， the American educational publisher Cengage Learning has collaborated with Chinese counterparts to publish series such as Studies on Xi Jinping’s Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” and Chinese Scholars on China’s Economy， with plans to publish the Modernization with Chinese Characteristics series. Seth Kelly， vice president of Global Academic Products at Cengage Learning， stated， “More and more international scholars are seeking to engage with Chinese scholars to understand China’s development and its global impact through their perspectives. We are committed to introducing the latest achievements of Chinese scholars to the English-speaking world.”

The fair’s opening day featured the English launch of “China Development Report 2023” and “Global Development Report 2023，” as well as “The Story of a Happy Ordinary Person -- A Century of Vocational Schools” and other events， drawing significant attention. A book designer from Latvia was engrossed in reading The Complete Collection of Song Dynasty Paintings from China. “The exquisite binding design by my Chinese counterparts has inspired me greatly. I hope to see more excellent Chinese works，” he said.

Some Chinese publishers also utilized artificial intelligence， virtual reality (VR)， and the metaverse to showcase outstanding publishing achievements. Zhongzhou Ancient Books Publishing displayed the English version of The Classic of Mountains and Seas: An Illustrated Guide to Chinese Mythical Creatures and launched the Eastern Mythical Creatures Adventure -- A VR Metaverse Immersive Experience. Natya from Kent， England， and her mother took turns wearing VR glasses to experience early Chinese explorations of nature’s mysteries.

Deepening International Cooperation in Chinese Publishing

This book fair featured the first country-specific showcase event aimed at providing a deeper understanding of various nations’ publishing cultures and markets， fostering international exchange and cooperation. The China-specific session on March 13 was fully attended， where three Chinese publishing professionals highlighted the latest trends in China’s publishing market， innovative practices in international technology， and academic cooperation， demonstrating the innovative dynamism of the Chinese publishing industry.

The Sino-British publishing trade negotiation meeting， organized by the China Books Import and Export (Group) Corporation， attracted participation from over ten Chinese and British publishing entities. “By showcasing and introducing， we can connect with more Chinese peers. I’m pleased to participate in such an efficient and rewarding event，” said Abby Mann， Asia-Pacific head of the international children’s book rights agency Copyright Solution. She told reporters that over the past 20 years， she had introduced some English children’s books to the Chinese market， and now there is a rapidly growing global demand for high-quality Chinese children’s books. She hopes to see more Chinese children’s books in the UK.

The People’s University of China Publishing House and Routledge of the UK co-published the “China Perspectives” series， introducing more than 40 books on contemporary Chinese humanities and social sciences， with two new titles released at this fair. The president of the global book business at Routledge’s parent company， Taylor amp; Francis， Beryl Rigby， stated， “The global academic field needs not only Western scholars’ insights but also direct research and ideas from China. International publishing cooperation is well-suited to facilitate this.”

The China Science Publishing amp; Media Ltd. (Science Press) and the French Science Communication Publishing House held a forum on “Green， Low-Carbon， and Sustainable Development，” discussing global low-carbon development pathways and China’s experiences in addressing global climate change. The general manager of the French Science Communication Publishing House， Heng Li， stated that the achievements of Chinese scientists in the global sustainable development research field and their growing influence in international academic publishing are increasing， and he looks forward to continued collaboration with Chinese counterparts to support green development.

Gareth Lapthorn， director of the London Book Fair， was pleased with the increased participation of Chinese publishing entities this year and hopes that future fairs will attract more Chinese publishers. He noted that the UK and China have maintained good cooperation in the publishing field， emphasizing that “cultural exchange is crucial for enhancing mutual understanding.”

Jointly Promoting Innovative Development in the Publishing Industry

By choosing specific fonts， plant-based inks， and environmentally friendly paper， the carbon footprint of printing a long novel can be reduced from 2.2 kg to 350 g. During the fair， a Danish publishing entity attracted many visitors with its innovative printing technology.

To promote green， low-carbon development in the publishing industry， this year’s fair marked the second consecutive year of the “Sustainability Center，” which offered a dedicated area for hosting multiple events to discuss the publishing industry’s strategies for climate change. From book design to printing production， distribution， and recycling， more and more publishing entities are prioritizing the decarbonization of the entire industry chain. To date， over 300 publishing entities and associations worldwide have signed the “Sustainable Development Goals Publishers Compact，” initiated by the United Nations and the International Publishers Association.

Artificial intelligence and other new technologies also sparked discussions at the fair as they offered both opportunities and challenges. A new technology from the Swedish streaming platform Spotify captures users’ interests and usage habits to provide personalized matches for music， blogs， and audiobooks， aiding creators and publishers in expanding their audiences.

Lapthorn considers that， on one hand， artificial intelligence poses a “threat to the existence” of creative content and authors， requiring fair and reasonable use of this new technology to protect copyrights. On the other hand， artificial intelligence helps the publishing industry integrate data and enhance business and operational levels.

Hadley， director of the Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation at Trinity College Dublin， believes that using large language models appropriately can inspire translators with more creative translation ideas. A representative from the British Writers’ Association believes that the pursuit of so-called “efficiency” and “l(fā)ow cost” in generating graphic and audiovisual products threatens the creative and artistic expression of original creators， and the transparency of related technologies and potential risks deserve broad discussion and regulation.