The China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF), originally scheduled to start on November 19, has been postponed to next year and is scheduled to run from March 20 to 22. This is the latest development from China’s strict zero-Covid policy even though the average number of new cases in the past few days was well below 100.
The new CCBF dates will coincide with the 59th Bologna Children’s Book Fair, which is set to take place from March 21 to 24. For the first time, these two major children’s book fairs, both organized by BolognaFiere, will connect the East and the West through real-time events. There will be joint activities on rights negotiations, book promotions, and illustration exhibits.
CCBF’s online matchmaking system remains open from November 8 to 30, and those interested can register at connect.ccbookfair.com to book appointments.
CCBF is the biggest event dedicated to children’s content in Asia. Last year’s hybrid event saw the participation of 386 exhibitors, 99 of which came from overseas, and nearly 19,000 visitors. Some 60,000 children’s titles were showcased, with about a third from overseas.
Children’s books remain the brightest spot in the Chinese publishing industry, accounting for 27.7% of its overall book retail market in the first half of 2021. In recent months, popular science has overtaken fiction as the #1 category in this segment. Titles from the U.S., U.K., Japan, and France dominate the translated children’s list, with recent bestsellers such as Bodo Schafer’s A Dog Called Money, Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, Pascale Hedelin’s The Human Body, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window, and Anthony Browne’s My Dad and My Mum.
