Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) wrapped up on 23 June with organisers reporting more visitors and more international countries represented since before the pandemic. The fair’s new venue was warmly welcomed with organisers concluding: “BIBF is forging ahead with hope and embracing the changes.”
This vear saw 1,600 exhibitors of which 1,050 were international exhibitors from 71 countries and regions around the world, up 150 (17%) from last year.
There were more than 1,000 cultural events, including mini-exhibitions, lectures, seminars, salons, author appearances, and book launches around Beijing that attracted nearly 300,000 visitors over the five-day period.
There were 15 new countries and regions at the fair, including Azerbaijan, Czechia, Nigeria, Norway, Slovakia, and Qatar. Among countries that significantly expanded their presence were Japan, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and Italy.
Among deals concluded at the fair was Jiangsu Phoenix Fine Art Press’ agreement with Al Bousalah Publishing & Distribution FZE (UAE) to publish The Dao of Chinese Calligraphy, Arabic edition.
The fair also saw Yilin Press, an imprint of Phoenix Publishing and Media Inc, one of the largest publishing groups in China, announce the deal to publish the first graphic novel edition of The Three-Body Problem.
Commenting on this year’s fair, Madame Lin Liying, President of CNPIEC, organiser of the Beijing International Book Fair, said: “It’s exciting to see a big comeback of international professional exhibitors and visitors to BIBF this year. In addition to the busy professional programmes, we are delighted to be the platform for international cultural exchange with a series of themed exhibitions and forums, such as the BIBF Art Book Fair and the BIBF International Illustration Forum.
“Hosting BIBF in June at our new venue is our way of bidding goodbye to the end of the pandemic while signalling the start of a new chapter for the fair. The pandemic has brought many challenges to the publishing industry. But with challenges come opportunities. One thing is for certain: change is the status quo, and we need to see both sides and look forward to the possibilities. BIBF is forging ahead with hope and embracing the changes.”
