Belgrade Book Fair to feature 5,000 Chinese publications

More than 5,000 Chinese publications will be presented in October at the 59th International Book Fair in Belgrade, Serbia by more than 100 publishers, it was announced Wednesday in Belgrade.

Scheduled for the last week of October, the fair present both international and Serbian books, as well as their authors, organizers said at a press conference.

"You will meet both the old and the new China and observe changes that take place in our country on daily basis," Chinese ambassador to Serbia Li Manchang said.

China is the honorary guest of this year's fair, and the Chinese delegation will be comprised of 200 people of whom are writers such as A Lai, Li Er, Lao Ma, Mai Jia, Liu Jun, Ma Junjie, and Yu Hua.

According to Belgrade's Secretary for Culture Vladan Vukosavljevic, besides the Chinese delegation, 450 exhibitors from 33 countries and regions will participate in the fair including France, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Iran, Montenegro, Japan, Greece, Croatia, Great Britain, Russia, Austria, Spain, Germany, Angola and India.

"The arrival of the Chinese delegation is a chance for publishers from China to make business deals with Serbian publishers, as well as for readers in Serbia to get to know the Chinese literary heritage. In return Chinese audience can get to know Serbian literature through translations," Vukosavljevic said.

Every year, a country that is chosen to be the honorary guest at the Belgrade book fair that can present its books and publishing industry as well as its authors, translators, publishers and distributors. Visitors can also participate in debates concerning cultural topics on China such as modern poetry and literature for children and translated works of Chinese literature.