From Publishing Perpectives:

What to Expect at the Beijing International Book Fair

By Edward Nawotka

BEIJING: Trying to take in the totality of Chinese publishing is a lot like sitting down to a Chinese banquet and trying to figure out what to eat first. With thousands of publishers, both state sponsored and independent, putting out some 300,000 titles each year (about the same number as in the US), there's a lot on the table.

One place where you can get a good sense of the overall scene is at the annual Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF), which takes place this week, from Thursday through Sunday at the China International Exhibition Centre.

Despite the global economic recession, hosts are anticipating a better year than 2008, when the event was forced to move to Tainjin, 60 km away from the capitol, in deference to the Olympics. Last year, a total of 1,390 publishing companies from 51 different countries exhibited some 150,000 titles; this year, some 56 countries are participating, with more than 800 foreign publishers and 700 Chinese publishers registered to participate. (read on ...)