[Interview] Paju Book City to host international publishing forum

Posted on : 2013-09-28 17:51 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
This year’s event will focus more on exchanges between Asian countries, to help ease tensions in the region

By Han Seung-dong, senior staff writer

“A great deal of exchange is taking place in Asia in music, movies, and other aspects of popular culture, but there has been much less systematic exchange in the intellectual and spiritual culture that is the basis for this,” the publisher said. “We need to expand systematic exchange of basic knowledge in order to bring about a change in overall reciprocal understanding, and books can play a crucial role in such exchange.”

The observation was made by Han Cheol-hui, 56, chair of the executive committee for the 8th Paju Book City International Publishing Forum 2013, which will take place on Oct. 1 in the Book City in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. Han is the president of Dolbegae publishing company.

“It’s time to move beyond only looking at the West and talking about Asia as it is reflected in the eyes of Westerners,” Han said. “We must deepen reciprocal understanding inside Asia through Asian books.”

The publishing forum is being held as a part of the 3rd Paju Booksori 2013, Asia’s largest book festival, which runs from Sept. 28 to Oct. 6 in Paju book city.

“The forum has always been held in November,” Han said. “This year, though since both events were focused on Asia, we decided we could enjoy some positive synergy by holding them together.”

In the past, publishers from the Americas and Europe have also been invited to the forum, but beginning this year the organizers are planning to reorient the event to Asian publishers.

The forum’s direction changed when Kim Eon-ho was appointed chairman of the Bookcity Culture Foundation at the beginning of this year. Kim is president of Hangilsa, a publishing company

“Seventeen publishers from seven Asian countries will participate in the forum,“ said Han. “The keynote speaker for this year’s forum is Haruki Wada, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo.”

“Wada also happens to be the recipient of this year’s writing prize at the Paju Book Awards, another event at Paju Booksori. Wada will address how to overcome the crisis in Northeast Asia. He will explain how Northeast Asian politics have made a 180 degree turn from peace to tension over the past 10 years and how the region is hurtling toward a serious crisis, and he will offer his ideas about the territorial conflicts which are at the heart of this problem,” Han said.

Also speaking at the forum will be Atsushi Okamoto, the new president of Iwanami Books, one of Japan’s most famous publishing companies, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Okamoto will be delivering a lecture about the East Asia and the company’s activities over the past 100 years.

Other participants at the forum include Shu Wei, president of academic books at Sanlian Books in China; Nguyen Minh Nhut, president of Tre Publishing in Vietnam; Karina A. Bolasco, president of Anvil Publishing in the Philippines; Triena Noeline Ong, president of the publishing house at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore; Wang Sixun, president of Ruguo Publishing in Taiwan; and Takeshi Ryusawa, professor of information science at Tokyo University.

Paju Booksori seeks to bring together publishers and readers for a “market of knowledge” lasting for more than a week. The program features a variety of activities, including lectures, author talks, workshops, seminars, and exhibitions. The major exhibition at this festival is titled “Antique Maps: Walking on the Path of the Imagination.”

There will also be a variety of jazz performances, with 131 distinguished jazz groups from 25 countries performing on a total of 10 stages.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

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