Bookish Shanghai New Meteorology ① | Why Shanghai Book Fair Worries Ding Lijie | Shanghai | Shanghai New Meteorology ① | Shanghai Book Fair
Editor's note: The 2023 Shanghai Book Fair and "Bookish China" Shanghai Week will be held from August 16th to 22nd at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, creating a three-dimensional book exhibition that combines the main and sub venues, and synchronizes online and offline.
Starting from now, we will launch a series of reports on the "Bookish Shanghai New Atmosphere", focusing on the new practices and new atmosphere of "Bookish Shanghai" reflected by the Shanghai Book Fair as a sample, and focusing on how reading for all can empower the city's spirit and quality.
"To see Shanghai, you don't just need to look at the scenic spots and high-rise buildings. Only by integrating into its cultural life can you truly integrate into this city." Last Saturday, Li Hongyu, a Harbin resident who has lived in Shanghai for many years, walked into the Shangtu East Hall with his 14-year-old son and 72 year old mother, starting the first stop for the family to participate in the pre event of the 2023 Shanghai Book Fair. "After the opening, we decided which day to buy tickets for the Shanghai Exhibition Center based on the activity schedule, and definitely not just for one day.".
On this day, not only the grandparents and grandchildren present at the scene felt the charm of reading. "When I heard interesting content, I posted it in the family group, and my sister and niece were all watching." Li Hongyu slid his phone screen to WeChat and shared it with the reporter.
On this day, at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, Cui Junyou, Deputy General Manager of Shanghai Zhongban Book Co., Ltd., issued a work photo saying, "The 2023 Shanghai Book Fair has entered the museum and started construction." On the weekend, the Shanghai Exhibition Center was bustling with activity.
"Shanghai has so many and excellent cultural resources, of course, we should 'plop' into it and try to experience it as much as possible. The cultural life where families can participate together and take what they need is the beauty of Shanghai's' sea ', which is not only Li Hongyu's feeling.". The Shanghai Book Fair is the cultural "ocean" that many people cannot miss.
It's a holiday, a reason to like Shanghai
"In our eyes, the Shanghai Book Fair is not only a place to buy good books and listen to good sharing, but also a festival for everyone who loves reading and life." Ding Lijie, the head of the marketing department of Shanghai Translation Publishing House, said, "This festival is not only belongs to Shanghai, but can radiate more people through a combination of online and offline." Around the Shanghai Book Fair, this old publishing house has planned for the first time this year a Reader's Day with the theme of "August Light". Offline, in the form of "Experience Day", readers are invited to enter the editor's work scene and the "Ideal Study Room" of the publishing house. Online, experts from different industries are invited to enter the live broadcast room to recommend good books to readers.
"At the book fair, the joy of seeing the books being selected and recognized by readers is unparalleled." He Qunxing, director of the Marketing Center of East China Normal University Press, and his colleagues have been in an "immersive preparation" state for several weeks. "It is the Shanghai Book Fair that everyone cares about, just like the song 'Shanghai is where I grew up, with all my emotions...' The Shanghai Book Fair is also one of the reasons why I like Shanghai."
"This year, we have set aside more space for small-scale exhibitions and interactive check-in. The venue is no longer just filled with books, but we hope to present book brands with highlights and memories, strengthen emotional connections with readers, and hope that everyone can always feel 'cultural value' at the Shanghai Book Fair, just like chasing after good book brands." He Qunxing said.
If in the past, book exhibitions were mainly showcased by publishing units, this year, "brand awareness" runs through the Shanghai Book Fair. The organizers of the book fair have invited more than ten excellent private publishing institutions, including Mo Tie, Du Ke, Guo Mai, and New Classics, each of which is a wonderful brand. In the central hall, Century Publishing Group launched a 50 meter long "Century Brand Avenue" led by the "Century Good Books" brand list, showcasing its classic or cutting-edge brands in a panoramic and matrix style.
Taking the "Philosopher's Stone" series of books published by Shanghai Science and Technology Education Press since 1998 as an example, it has accumulated 153 types of science and humanities books over the past 25 years and has a loyal following. "Philosopher's Stone" has also become a prominent publishing brand. This year's book fair has launched an extended activity called "Philosopher's Stone Seven Classes". At the first lecture held on the 13th, in addition to senior publishers introducing the origin and concept of "Philosopher's Stone", two heavyweight guests, Jiang Xiaoyuan, a chair professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Liu Bing, a professor at Tsinghua University, engaged in a fun conversation about whether popular science is truly "low-end", which aroused the interest of readers.
It's daily, it's a platform for aggregating up and down
Before the opening of the 2023 Shanghai Book Fair, the 11th quadrennial Mao Dun Literature Award was announced, and Shanghai writer Sun Ganlu added another Mao Dun Literature Award trophy to Shanghai with "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains". As the initiator and planner of the Shanghai International Literature Week and its extension Sinan Reading Club, Sun Ganlu is not only a novelist, but also a fellow reader on the reading road for Shanghai readers. "The reason why Shanghai International Literature Week and Sinan Book Club were established is because the Shanghai Book Fair has a desire to establish a communication platform for Chinese and foreign writers, readers, publishers, and media. More importantly, it is to gather resources and open them up to society and readers." Sun Ganlu said, "Book clubs are becoming popular in Shanghai. This is our daily life, and it is also a work worth doing and spending time on.".
At this year's Shanghai Book Fair, the 10th Shanghai International Literature Week will welcome over 30 Chinese and foreign guests, including Angolan writer Jos é Eduardo Agoulusa, Australian writer Richard Flanagan, Alai, and Tian Er. The "Sinan Literature House · Reading Light" space will also make its debut at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, bringing 16 book club activities and becoming a public reading space for readers to rest and exchange ideas.
The two large-scale reading activities of "national brands" - the China Publishing Group Reader Conference and the China Writers Association's "Climbing Plan" promotion activity - have landed for the first time at the Shanghai Book Fair, writing a more open new footnote for the Shanghai Book Fair. Among them, Yang Zhijun, another winner of this year's Mao Dun Literature Award, will bring his award-winning work "Snow Mountain and Earth" to meet with readers in Shanghai. This is one of the promotion activities of the "Climbing Plan" of the Chinese Writers Association; "The first public event of 'A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains' will also be held during the Shanghai Book Fair.' If there are no other themes, it is called a reader meeting. For writers and works, meeting and communicating with readers is the most direct form, '" said Li Weichang, Vice President of Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House.
This year, the Shanghai Book Fair has designated the first floor of the East and the first floor of the West as a national book collection exhibition area. More than 20 national key publishing groups have been invited to make appearances, and the net sales area of publishing books outside Shanghai has increased by nearly 40% compared to 2020. "We look forward to standing on the same stage as our strongest competitors and best peers," said Kan Ninghui, President of Century Publishing Group. "The Shanghai Book Fair, which is over 20 years old, has reached its best years. As a part of the content production chain, it promotes the super aggregation of upstream and downstream on the book fair platform, generating stronger radiation and explosive power. This year, the more open and nationwide Shanghai Book Fair is worth looking forward to."
The main venue of this year's Shanghai Book Fair, the Central Hall of the Shanghai Exhibition Center, is led by China Publishing Group, Sichuan Exhibition Group, and Shanghai Century Publishing Group. The picture shows the exhibition site on the 13th. Provided by Wu Jun
