The third China Shanghai Children’s Book Fair, which was held last November at the Expo Exhibition Center, surprised its organizers with a huge crowd and vendor turnout. (Photo : China Daily)
The golden age of children’s literature in China has arrived, experts told China Daily. New demand for new content is the primary reason behind the advent of this renaissance.
According to Randy Wang of Reed Exhibitions, although the global publishing industry has declined, children's books have managed to get past curveballs over the past decade. Wang, who also organized the China Shanghai Children's Book Fair, added that children's literature is the only sector to flourish despite the boom of new media.
The third China Shanghai Children's Book Fair, which was held last November at the Expo Exhibition Center, surprised its organizers with a huge crowd and vendor turnout.
Over 300 publishers and professionals from related industries attended the event, and brought with them over 20,000 titles. Ten institutions from five Scandinavian countries also participated in the fair for the very first time.
"You might think online bookstores such as Amazon and Dangdang have taken over the retail business of books with their home-delivery services and discount prices," said Wang, "Yet people don't hesitate to pay hundreds of yuan to buy imported books for their children at the fair."
The massive turnout and successful sales indicate the golden age of children's publications in the country.
"Never before have we seen so many publishing houses print so many books for children in China within one year," said Llang Yan, an editor of children's literature. "Never before have the government and NGOs paid so much attention to children's books, and authors who used to write for grown-ups are now more enthusiastic about creating content for young readers."
