Photo: VCG

An exhibition showcasing "international art books" is one of the most special sections currently on display at the 20th Shanghai Book Fair, which will bring nearly 30,000 books and stage 1,000 reading-themed events from Wednesday to Tuesday at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. 

Showing a total of 1,060 books from stellar art house publishers like Thames & Hudson, the new "art books" section is unique not only due to its first appearance in the fair's 20 years of history, but also because it is a fundamental part of the fair's "1+1+X+N" model, a representative of the Shanghai Book Fair Office told the Global Times.  

The "1+1+X+N" model is what sets the fair apart from events like the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF). "1+1+X+N" represents that the "one" main venue at the Shanghai Exhibition Center will echo with the "first" international art book exhibition across the road. It also highlights the fair's foundation of promoting art and cultural publications. 

"For this year, we really value the artistic sector since it paves the way for our next move to launch an international art book fair in Shanghai this November," the representative said. 

The "X+N" stands for how different reading-themed activities will be held at bookstores across the cities' 16 districts and how the fair values "networking" by launching cross-regional book events. 

Taking the Pudong district as an example, the "City Read" event will be launched to get the public to share their reading experiences. In Kashi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a parallel venue under the fair will be held to display books about the regional cultures of Xinjiang and Shanghai. 

In 2023, Sanming in Fujian Province was involved into the fair's "dual-city" plan. A four-day exhibition at a parallel venue in the province intrigued around 53,000 visitors and achieved a book sales record of 4.465 million yuan ($625,240). 

"The cross-regional collaboration is iconic to the Shanghai Book Fair. We see it as a channel to promote the city of Shanghai, and also a means to showcase China's cultural diversity," the representative remarked.

Although the book fair engages more than 300 exhibitors, book industry insider Jin Hong told the Global Times that quantity is no longer the most important parameter for established book fairs and that it is exhibitors' "creative and niche promotional strategies" that show the vitality of the Chinese publishing industry.

At the event, to promote its stellar book collection on French philosopher Albert Camus, the Guangxi Normal University Press has designed canvas bags and badges bearing the philosopher's image to intrigue young readers. 

Publishers like Shanghai Century Publishing (Group) launched an exhibition featuring "ancient Chinese books and technology." Also, another symposium revolving around the theme of "cultural exchanges and Chinese modernity" was also launched. Such events involve readers while also promoting the house's publishing expertise in history, economy and so forth. 

"Twenty years ago, the fair was launched to target the industry and sales, but now it has a new goal of embracing the public," the representative said. She also emphasized that the book fair is contributing to promoting reading across the country.