Shanghai Book Fair will return from August 15 to 21 at Shanghai Exhibition Center and 100 other affiliated venues scattered around the city. Over 500 new books are expected to be launched along with hundreds of forums and lectures by authors and literary experts.

Since 2008, the book fair has been working to establish itself as China's premiere platform for new books. The books launched at the fair are mainly professional, academic and historical.

This year, for the first time, visitors can book their tickets in advance online starting August 1, while paper tickets can be purchased on-site or at some Xinhua Bookstore branches. Apart from the Shanghai Exhibition Center as the main venue, many smaller events will be held at physical bookstores around the city.

In recent years, brick-and-mortar bookshops have made a comeback in Shanghai thanks to preferential local policies, commercial support and active market exploration, according to Xu Jiong, director of Shanghai Municipal Press and Publication Bureau.

Shanghai was among the first cities to stabilize its physical bookstore market with government subsidies. In terms of market operations, many chains have rebuilt their reputations so that some large shopping malls are now willing to offer them lower rent.

Bookstores are also experimenting with new technology, better services and live events in order to ride the wave into the upgraded retail market. Some have come up with unmanned models, while others have selected books based on big data, which ensures sustainable development.

"Our focus is on the sustainable development of physical bookstores," said Xu, adding that this will also be the theme of this year's physical bookstore industry forum.

The Shanghai International Literary Week will also return for its eighth year. Under the theme of "the meaning of travel," the event will put on 40 events with 30 well-known authors from home and abroad discussing the Belt and Road initiative from a literary angle. The final list of foreign attendees is still being confirmed.

This year's book fair will launch a series of reader-friendly services, including extending operational hours until 9 pm, setting up atomizing humidifiers and delivering/shipping books for readers.

A mother and her son check the English version of Shanghai Maths: One Lesson One Exercise at Shanghai Book Fair in 2017.

Readers at Shanghai Book Fair in 2017

Readers browse through books. Photos: VCG