The memoirs genre of books on foreign political and business leaders is witnessing a huge uptake in China, increasing revenues for publishers and bookstores alike. This trend has had an overall positive impact on the publishing industry in a country whose population is about 1.4 billion, which makes China one of the world’s most active markets for translations.
During the past few months, the Chinese capital of Beijing has seen a number of press conferences to promote latest translations, including The Fate: Biography Decorating Colour, which encapsulates the life of the President of South Korea; Revolution, a memoir authored by French President Emmanuel Macron; and US President Donald Trump’s memoir, From a Businessman to President, and his biography, The Road to Presidency.
To customise these publications for Chinese readers, each book contains a special introduction and some pages that are dedicated to highlighting the relationship of each personality of the book with China. Doing so has raised their demand further, increasing sales.
The memoirs attract Chinese readers due to successful life experiences and personal stories contained within them. The protagonists in these books are seen as role models by the Chinese youth, many of who aspire to have careers and influence in the international arena.