The Netherlands Host Country at Beijing Book Fair 2011
PRESS RELEASE - The Netherlands will be the host country at the Beijing Book Fair 2011 (31 August - 4 September 2011), the fourth largest in the world. This was agreed with the Chinese book fair organisation this week.
The Dutch Foundation for Literature and the former Foundation for the Publication and Translation of Dutch Literature have been active on the Chinese book market for six years. In that period, more than fifty literary works from the Netherlands were translated and published by large, renowned Chinese publishers. Forty more titles are in preparation and will be presented prior to the book fair in September next year.
Negotiations were recently concluded with the Yilin Press from Nanjing for the Chinese publication of De donkere kamer van Damocles (The Dark Room of Damocles, 1958) and Nooit meer slapen (Beyond Sleep, 1966) by Willem Frederik Hermans. During the book fair in Beijing agreements were also made for the publication of Boven is het stil (The Twin, 2006) by Gerbrand Bakker, a series of picture books by Annemarie van Haeringen and Rindert Kromhout, several books by Annie M.G. Schmidt and the Dolfje Weerwolfje (Dolfje Werewolf) series by Paul van Loon. Furthermore, there are to be Chinese translations of a number of non-fiction books, including Een man van drie levens (A Man of Three Lives, 1993) by C.D. Barkman and H. de Vries, a biography of the diplomat, writer and scholar Robert van Gulik, Van karmijn, purper en blauw (Colors Demonic and Devine, 2002) by Herman Pleij and Het verhaal van Edith (Edith’s Story, 1999) by Edith Velmans-Van Hessen.
The Dutch Foundation for Literature has already begun preparations for next year. Special attention will be paid to children’s and juvenile literature, Vincent van Gogh, the work of Robert van Gulik and books about Dutch design and architecture, which are respected and in demand in China. The stand will be designed in cooperation with the Foundation for The Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture.
More than twenty Dutch authors, illustrators and designers will take part in public meetings with Chinese colleagues, readings and book presentations in Beijing. Dutch publishers will be able to inform themselves about the Chinese market and will become acquainted with the most important Chinese writers.
The emphasis will be on exchange, as was the case during the Café Amsterdam Festival organised by the Dutch Foundation for Literature from 24-27 August 2010 at the Dutch Culture Centre in Shanghai. Authors who attended the festival included Anna Enquist, Margriet de Moor, Cees Nooteboom, Bi Feiyu, Wang Anyi and Chen Cun.
More information:
For more information, please contact:
Henk Pröpper, director of the Dutch Foundation for Literature, T +31 (0)20-520 73 00