Offerings from Chinese publishers warmly received at London Book Fair

LONDON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The three-day London Book Fair (LBF) concluded on Thursday, with offerings from Chinese publishers receiving warm response from international publishers and industry professionals.

More than 40 Chinese publishers showcased over 2,300 China-themed titles about culture, history, politics and literature at Olympia London, a massive exhibition center in West London, where the book fair was held.

Speaking to Xinhua at a ceremony where a cooperation agreement was signed on the publication in foreign languages of China-themed books, Hu Kaimin, president of the Foreign Languages Press (FLP), a publishing house in China, said that those books are expected to enhance people's understanding of China, a country committed to openness and peace.

"We have published several academic titles on the concept of shared future for mankind and the 'Belt and Road Initiative' that reflect China's goodwill and peaceful development, which got a very good response from the readers and the public," said Deniz Kizilcec, editor-in-chief of Canut International Publishers.

He signed an agreement with the FLP on the joint publication of the Turkish language version of the book "An Open China."

A panel discussion organized by China National Publications Import and Export (Group) Co., Ltd. on the book "The Visible Sounds," a children's picture book illustrated by British Chinese illustrator Yu Rong, drew a large crowd.

The book, based on the true story of Chinese dancer Tai Lihua, relates the uplifting journey of a young child grappling with the challenges of hearing loss. It was shortlisted for the 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration.

"What stood out for me for this book was its passion, the way through the words and the illustration the story was told. It's about showing that level of authenticity, that belief in your stories and characters, and using that to promote ideas of empathy and understanding," Janet Noble, chair of judges for 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal, told Xinhua.

During the LBF, China's Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP) and Springer Nature held a signing ceremony for the video book, titled "The Uniqueness of Chinese Civilization in World History."

The author and lecturer of this video book, Guy Alitto, one of the most influential Sinologists of modern times, offered a fresh perspective on the rich history of Chinese civilization, highlighting its unique characteristics and contributions to the world.

"The slogan of this year's London Book Fair is 'Defining the Future of Creative Content.' I believe this video book would be an excellent example: the contents of paper books can be creatively delivered by multimedia forms," said Wang Fang, president of the FLTRP.

Peter Fiell, a British writer who has published many books on design, said he was delighted to come across three titles useful for background research for a book he is working on while browsing the Chinese stands.

"I think it's really important that China shows what's great about the country, what people can understand. The culture in China is phenomenal," he told Xinhua, advising more Chinese publishers to use platforms such as the LBF.

The LBF, one of the world's largest publishing trade fairs, attracted more than 1,700 companies from 60 countries and regions this year.