Chinese publisher forges forward at book fair

At the 76th Frankfurt International Book Fair, which closed on Sunday, the Beijing Publishing Group signed a cooperation agreement with German publisher Drachenhaus Verlag to produce a translation of Xi Gaodi Xingji (Journey to the Western Highlands) by multi-award winning writer Alai.

This marks another important instance of cooperation between BPG and the Drachenhaus Verlag following the publication of the German translation of Alai's Yunzhong Ji (The Records of Yunzhong Village), a novel he wrote about the 8.0-magnitude Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, which encapsulates his thoughts about the relationship between people and natural disasters.

Released in 2023, Journey to the Western Highlands is a collection of nine long essays written by the author since 2011, including Spring in My Hometown, Journey to Gongga Mountain, and Journey to Yushu, recording his observations of nature and reflections on history, culture and life as he traveled through Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Gansu provinces, and the Xizang autonomous region, which all lie on the highlands of western China.

During the discussion session, the translators of The Records of Yunzhong Village, Pan Jitao and Wu Xiujie, shared their ideas with the audience on topics such as the touching aspect of the novel and Alai's influence among German readers.

In addition, the BPG delegation held discussions with Stephanie Mair-Huydts, publisher of German media group Mairdumont, about the development of the BPG Mairdumont Media Ltd joint venture. BPG also explored fields such as digitalization, audiobooks, and personalized books with representatives from the Nibbe Literary Agency, the European University Press, and Spanish publisher Cuentos con Valores.

In an effort to improve international communication and share the richness of Chinese culture, BPG brought nearly 100 books to the fair. They spanned various genres, including literature, traditional culture, humanities, social sciences, technology, children's books, and language learning.

Titles highlighted at the BPG booth included Xiandaihua De Zhongguo Xuanze (China's Choice of Modernization) and You Wen Bi Da (Questions and Answers) that illustrate the country's path toward modernization. Books like Chao Beijing (Trendy Beijing), which is available in five languages, Wo Ai Beijing (I Love Beijing), Beijing De Jiliang: Zhongzhouxian De Gushi (The Backbone of Beijing: Stories of the Central Axis) showcase the charm of Beijing's culture. Visitors could also peruse books like The Records of Yunzhong Village and Liu Su Di (Worldly Land), which depict life and characters in different regions and of different cultural backgrounds, prompting reflections on humanity, emotions, ethics, and nature.