Thursday 9 October 2014

Asia in Frankfurt

Crowds at the Frankfurt Book Fair
Frankfurt, the biggest books fair and rights market in the world, is now underway. Last year, in 2013, 451 Asian exhibitors attended, this year publishers and agents from all over the region are there in force, and around 10,000 of the Fair’s visitors are expected to be from Asia. 

Many events on offer have an Asian twist.  Here’s a selection:

Chinese Market with CNPIEC: this explains how Western publishers can explore the Chinese market through exhibiting at the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF), and offers updates on the development of digital publishing in China. BIBF is Asia's largest book fair, CNPIEC is the company that runs it.

Digital Publishing in South East Asia: South East Asia has a dynamic, young, literate population, and here digital is perhaps the future of publishing, more so even than in the west.  This event, run by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, explores how publishing in Asia can benefit from the new tools. 

Markus Nummi: Am Anfang ein Garten: The Finnish author Markus Nummi discusses his novel Am Anfang ein Garten. This is about love, loss and friendship, set in a missionary station in the Chinese part of Turkestan with the desert, mountains, and Asian gods in the background, and in the foreground a love story that begins in the year 1903 and continues until the year 1941. The event is sponsored by Finland Cool. Finland is the Fair’s guest of honour country this year.

Entering Asian Markets Successfully. Hosted by the Taipei International Book Fair, this panel will assemble experts from Korea, Thailand and Taiwan. They’ll present the best ways Western publishers can enter the Asian book markets, with a special focus on the Chinese language markets.

Dewi Lestari on new trends in her writing. Dewi Lestari is one of Indonesia’s foremost young authors, known for stylistic and formal innovation. In this session she will give her opinions on the future of writing in Indonesia in the digital age. Sponsored by the Ministry of Education and Culture, Indonesia.

Plenty yet to be done Against Child Labour and for Children’s Rights. Publisher and photographer Lois Lammerhuber and multi-award winning photographer Hartmut Schwarzbach in conversation about child labour and children’s rights.  Schwarzbach has devoted his career to sophisticated photo reportage on humanitarian and ecological issues. Since 2000 he has focused his attention on children’s rights in Asia and Africa.


Next year, in 2015, Indonesia will present its rich and diverse culture as the guest of honour in Frankfurt. This should make a big impact on the awareness of Asia as a hotspot in the publishing world.  In preparation for this cultural exchange, Indonesian chef William Wongso will demonstrate the art of cooking beef rendang, and also traditional Indonesian appetizers and desserts. The demonstration is called Mysteries of the Flavours of Indonesia - Part 1. Perhaps Part 2 will be next year?