World's largest book fair, the Frankfurt Book Fair, hails the 21st China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) as a key platform for two-way cultural cooperation, as the fair makes its second appearance at the ICIF following the successful results yielded in its debut last year.
The Frankfurt Book Fair brings 125 book varieties to 2025 ICIF, all promoted in China for the first time.
The Frankfurt Book Fair underscores China's growing publishing market as a gravitational pull, citing rising copyright deals and a 28% share of children's books in China's ¥112.9 billion book retail sector in 2024.
"ICIF is a vital hub for global cultural trade," Xu Zhiyong, a German-Chinese representative acting as the Frankfurt Book Fair's spokesperson at this year's ICIF, noted. "It helps German content reach China while supporting Chinese publishers in going global."
21st China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair kicks off on Thursday (May 22).
Xu cites the successful two-way cultural exchanges from last year as an attraction for the fair's second appearance at the ICIF. Besides book and copyright deals, many Chinese enterprises consulted with them about the Frankfurt Book Fair last year and successfully went to Germany for the exhibition, making ICIF a bridge to connect Chinese enterprises to overseas markets.
"Guangdong publishers attended the Frankfurt Book Fair through ICIF in 2024, after which they made notable book donations to the German National Library in the follow-up cooperation, making the two-way cultural exchanges meaningful."
This year, the Frankfurt Book Fair is also making its mark at the ICIF, with a curated showcase of 125 award-winning books from 2024's Frankfurt Book Fair, as a special offer for the Chinese market. The selection includes children's and young adult literature for the 2024-2025 seasons, as well as award-winning architecture titles from last year's book fair.
Newly released books brought by Frankfurt Book Fair to 2025 ICIF.
"These books reflect Germany's publishing expertise in content and design, making them ideal for Chinese readers and potential licensing partners," said Xu.
The goals for the Frankfurt Book Fair's attendance at this year's ICIF include promoting the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair, expanding digital publishing and IP partnerships with the Chinese industry, and exploring AI's role in the industry through exchanges with Chinese counterparts.
Reporter/Script | Huang Xinyi
Photo | Ou Nanying
Video | Ou Nanying
Poster | Lai Meiya
Editor | Ouyang Yan, Hu Nan, James, Shen He
