Leading U.S. retailer launches "special section" for China-themed books

A poster showing the upcoming signing event of Chinese writer Mai Jia is seen at Barnes & Noble on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York, the United States, on May 26, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

On Tuesday afternoon, a Chinese delegation led by Wu Shangzhi, a senior official overseeing China's media and publication industry, toured the bookstore, causing a little stir in the usually quiet space.

The "special section" offered a chance for American readers to get in direct contact with China-themed books, said Wu, adding that the event also reflects Chinese books' increasing presence in the overseas market.

While there have always been China-related books for sale in the store, they are scattered on different shelves by their categories, so it's obviously nicer to put them together in a " curated collection," said a store clerk who didn't want to be named.

"I heard that Mo Yan's Frog is a very good novel, and it's already on my reading list," she noted, referring to one of the books on display.

"I have a friend who was also very interested in Chinese culture. I'm sure she have been here, she probably bought many of these books," said Mattoon, the customer.

While refusing to reveal any sales figures or giving specific comments, Paul, the manager, said the store would be "very interested in discussing further cooperation" with the Chinese side after the event.

And for CNPIEC, profit doesn't seem to be a primary concern, at least for now.

"The event will help us get the real feedback of American readers. After knowing which book is popular, we can make adjustments back at home so that our publishing industry could meet international standards and our books could go down well with foreign readers," Lin said.