Korea's Largest Book Fair Kicks off In MayEvent to feature over 750 booths and 600 publishing companies from 20 countries Korea's largest book fair will be held in Seoul this month with publishers, authors and industry experts from around the world in attendance. The Seoul International Book Fair 2010, whose theme is "Books for the Future, the Future for Books", is scheduled for May 12-16 at Coex convention center in Samsung-dong. Now in its 16th year, the fair will feature over 600 publishing companies including Korean publishers, bookstores, publishing organizations and copyright agencies as well as 60 foreign publishing companies from 20 countries, including Norway, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Iran, Israel, Malaysia and Mexico. This year's overseas participants will represent the entire publishing industry, from children's books to liberal arts, social sciences, literature and art. The fair organized by the Seoul International Book Fair Organizing Committee is being managed by the Korea Publishers Association, Coex and the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism sponsoring the event.  The publishing houses participating this year include Amrood, an Iranian company that translated traditional Korean folk tales, becoming Iran's first publisher to release a book related to Korea; Bloomsbury, which translated and published Cho Gyeong-ran's "Hyeo"; the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, which recently purchased the rights to Shin Gyeong-sook's "Look After My Mother": and Abera Verlag of Germany that recently published translated editions of Hwang Ji-woo's poetry collection "I'll Sit in a Softly Lit Wine House One Day" and Lee Si-woo's "A Journey of Peace Through the DMZ." Baek Seok-gi, chairman of the organizing committee and the Korea Publishers Association, said "France will be the guest of honor this year, and famous French authors, including Bernard Werber, will be visiting Korea." He added that "events during this year's fair centered around the guest of honor will lay the foundation for increased exchanges between publishers in Korea and France by featuring French-language books, publications about France, a French publishing forum, and various cultural events." The fair's Managing Director Im Man-ho said "the fair will bring together representatives from publishing houses, book companies and libraries, making it a truly global festival." France will be represented by over 100 publishing companies displaying over 1,500 publications under the theme of "Korea Reads France," with representatives from 23 French publishing houses visiting Korea for discussions on publishing rights. The special events will include a featured exhibition, screenings of French films and a seminar for publishing industry experts from the two nations. Japan was the guest of honor last year.  At the fair, fans of French literature will have a chance to meet noted French authors including Bernard Weber, whose science fiction works such as "Les Fourmis" and "Les Thanatonautes" have a massive following in Korea: Marc Levy, one of Europe's best-selling authors: Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian, who is famous for her "Tara Duncan" series; and Martin Page, author of the best-selling philosophical novel "Comment je suis devenu stupide." In addition, a "Books with History" event will coincide with the centennial of the forced annexation of Korea by Japan and the martyrdom of Ahn Jung-geun, who sacrificed himself for Korea's liberation from the Japanese, allowing visitors to reexamine and learn about these important events. Other special exhibits will include the winners of Germany's International Book Design Contest sponsored by the German Book Art Foundation, a showcase for picture books from around the world, and e-books. Also, "Meet the Author" events will allow authors from many countries to introduce their newest works as well as discuss their previous books. Korean fans will also have a chance to meet top publishers and authors who were chosen from a survey conducted jointly with Korea's mega bookstore Kyobo Books.  To promote global cooperation in copyright protection, the first day of the fair will be designated as "Copyright Professional Day". An expert in the field will provide consultations and interpretation services for copyright-related business events. Special seminars and exchange programs bringing together publishing companies and leading experts in international copyright and intellectual property issues will be held that day as well. Special booths will be offered at the fair to encourage the participation of smaller publishing companies. These booths, measuring 1 x 2 meters, are smaller and 46% cheaper to rent than regular ones, so small and medium-sized publishing houses can join the event without exceeding their budgets. In addition, the fair will aim to be a green event by excluding carpeting in an effort to reduce dust, while encouraging exhibitors not to construct wooden booths. |