Shanghai Book Fair to go ahead as planned
The Shanghai Book Fair will be held as planned in mid-August, but exhibitors are being told to bring fewer books.
“Nationwide, the situation of the epidemic is improving. We are preparing for the fair according to the initial schedule,” Xu Jiong, head of the Shanghai Press and Publication Bureau, told a news conference on Thursday.
“To provide a safer, more spacious and comfortable environment for visitors, we suggest exhibitors bring with them fewer books, but books of higher quality. This year’s fair will also do more sanitation preparation.”
The fair will be held from August 12 to 18 at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. Recruiting exhibitors begins next month.
Xu said this year’s fair will showcase more new books making their debut in Shanghai. Non-publisher exhibitors, including Internet enterprises, will also be invited for interaction and cooperation with traditional publishers.
Bookstores were among the worst hit businesses by the coronavirus epidemic. Xu said the city government will continue its preferential policies and increase subsidies for some stores and publishers.
“Shanghai’s bookstore industry has been recovering in the past few years, but still with a weak foundation and meager profit,” said Xu. “The government will introduce new application regulations for designated subsidies soon.
"Some key companies, including teaching material publishers and bookstores with innovative projects will be assisted.
“Each bookstore has its own difficulty. Some face rent pressure, and some have encountered a cash-crunch. We will start to introduce individual assistance plans for each store.”
The 2020 Shanghai Book Fair will be held from August 12 to 18.
