The official poster for the upcoming China Shanghai International Children's Book Fair. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The 2024 China Shanghai International Children's Book Fair will take place at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre from Nov 15-17, when 497 publishers and exhibitors from 32 countries and regions will be showcasing more than 20,000 new titles of children's books.
The event is organized by Shanghai Xinhua Distribution Group, China Education Publishing & Media Group, China Universal Press & Publication Company and Ronbo BolognaFiere Shanghai, with support from the BolognaFiere S.p.A.
The fair is the leading exhibition in the Asia-Pacific focused on children's book publishing and content for readers aged 0-16. This year the fair expects to receive about 45,000 visitors, who will also participate in 353 professional exchange sessions and reading promotion activities.
The 25,000 square-meter exhibition space will be divided into the Copyright Zone and Hybrid Zone. The Copyright Zone is open exclusively to industry professionals, dedicated to facilitating copyright trading and international collaboration for children's books.
The Hybrid Zone, which integrates the business functions with retail, will open to professionals on Nov 15 and to a broader audience from Nov 16-17.
With the theme Embracing the Future, the fair has become an indispensable player in the development of China's children's publishing industry. According to Chai Chengwei, general manager of Ronbo BolognaFiere Shanghai, the number of international exhibitors at this year's fair has increased from 25 countries and regions to 32, and that the fair has gained wide attention by more and more overseas exhibitors, who are bringing more diversified content to Chinese readers.
Writers from all over the world, such as the Caldecott Medal winner Jon Klassen, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid Jeff Kinney, and Spanish writer Anna Llenas, author of The Color Monster Collection, will attend the fair, and share stories behind their creation, alongside renowned Chinese authors such as Cao Wenxuan, Qin Wenjun, and Hao Jingfang.
