China's classic works of literature shine at Kuwait int'l book fair

KUWAIT CITY, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- "Dream of the Red Chamber is the best seller at this fair and these books are almost sold out one hour after the event is opened," a Chinese book publisher said.

The 44th Kuwait International Book Fair kicked off on Wednesday at the Kuwait International Fairground, where three Chinese publishing houses participate.

"The Arabic version of the four classics of Chinese literature is very popular at this fair and sells very well," Xie Yang, a representative of a publishing house from China, told Xinhua.

At the fair, Chinese publishing houses displayed hundreds of copies of popular children's stories of China, translated into Arabic and English, as well as numerous books on Chinese culture.

"We specialize in spreading Chinese culture. Our books are published in several languages. We care a lot about the Kuwaiti people because they are educated and like to read," Xie said.

In recent years, the Kuwaitis showed an increasing interest in reading classic Chinese books.

At the opening ceremony, Mohammad Al-Jabri, Kuwaiti minister of information and minister of state for youth affairs, said the book fair, which runs until Nov. 30, is of great importance to those interested in culture in and outside Kuwait.

"We are surprised by the wish of Kuwaitis to read Chinese stories. I totally agree with the minister's remarks," Xie said.

"Last year when we attended the fair, all books of Romance of the Three Kingdoms in English and Arabic versions were sold out," she added.

"This year we brought more classical Chinese novels, especially the four classics of Chinese literature, such as copies of Dream of the Red Chamber which is considered one of the greatest novels in China," she noted.

Mohamed El Khatib, a Lebanese partner with a Chinese publishing house, said his company has sold more than 50,000 Chinese books in the Arab market in recent years.

"We are trying to promote the Chinese books in Kuwait. This year we brought two automatic book-vending machines, through which children could buy authentic Chinese books for only one Kuwaiti dinar (3.29 U.S. dollars)," he said.

Mohammed Al-Sorani, a representative of another Chinese publishing house, told Xinhua that they display the most popular works of Chinese writers of children's literature, including Yang Peng's "Dad in My Pocket."

"The Kuwaiti readers will discover in our booth about 70 kinds of books, including 30 new ones and many are about Chinese culture," he noted.

The Kuwait International Book Fair, first launched in 1975, is one of the most important book fairs in the Arab region.

At this year's edition, more than 500 Arab and foreign publishing houses participate in the event with more than half a million books.