Turning a new page

Zhang Yueran's Ten Loves was published in Spanish.

Chinese books are receiving growing international attention, Mei Jia reports in Guangzhou, partly because of the country's increasing importance and also due to rebranding efforts by publishers.

Porcelain, kung fu, herbal medicine and Confucius If reading about traditional culture is not your thing, Chinese publishers are now focusing more on contemporary themes. This news arrives hot on the heels of a finding that contemporary literature and "China mode" books are drawing wider attention. At the China Book International project's annual meeting in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on April 10, 35 top Chinese publishers who operate in the international market gathered to share the China experience of "going global" - particularly in light of the world economic slowdown. Started in 2006 by the State General Administration of Press and Publication, Radio, Film and Television, CBI intends to increase China's share of the international book market.

This involves the government partly funding translation and promotion costs, and Chinese publishers working with foreign counterparts to sell the books to international audiences. CBI also runs a foreign consultants committee, comprised of top international publishers and experts.

"In the first years of CBI, we were exploring a sound way of operating the project," says Zhang Fuhai with the administration, who's also a CBI director.

"In 2010, we focused on expanding the international channels for Chinese publishers; in 2011, we perfected the supporting policies; in 2012, we focused on the overall international layout of China's publishing business and increased investment in foreign countries.

"In 2013, we will further build up the Chinese publishing brand-names. Chinese literature may offer a breakthrough."

Li Hongjie, president of China Intercontinental Press, said at the CBI annual meeting that its reports suggest contemporary Chinese writers have huge market potential in Spanish-speaking countries.

"Our choice of the Spanish-language market is not a random one," Li says. "It's based on the 70 titles we have published in Spanish, 40 of which were sold to the relevant countries."

Li says that, besides Spain, there are 400 million Spanish-speakers in Latin America. In recent years, Spanish-language literature has generated 11 Nobel literature laureates and has influenced Chinese writers like Mo Yan.

But only 12 Chinese novels were published in the Spanish-speaking world from 1978 to 1999, with 36 published from 2000 to 2010, Li says.

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