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The Philippine Book Development Board Prepares for ASEAN Integration

30/10/2014

The National Book Development Board (NBDB), the government agency mandated to develop and support the Philippine book publishing industry, is holding the 5th Philippine International Literary Festival and Book Industry Summit from 12-14 November 2014.

With the theme “The Pressing Issue: Sustainable Business amid ASEAN Integration,” the festival aims to ready the local book publishing industry in time for the integration of ASEAN countries into a single market. A book publishing industry roadmap is being prepared and during the event, the state of the Philippine book industry will be reported.

Neni Sta. Romana Cruz, NBDB Chairperson with Graciela Mendoza-Cayton, NBDB Executive Director at Frankfurt this year.

“It is important that all stakeholders in the publishing industry develop and maintain their competitive advantage, especially when they face open regional trade,” says Neni Sta. Romana Cruz, NBDB Chairperson.

NBDB has always envisioned a globally competitive book publishing industry for the Philippines. This festival promotes locally published books and talent, and provides a venue for deeper engagement among stakeholders. It will tackle many facets of book publishing, including issues that stakeholders currently face: best practices, alternative publishing models, a writer's career, rights management, and readership, among others.

Leading local and foreign industry practitioners will be present to share their experiences and insights. Among them are Eric Huang, Development Director at Made in Me, an award-winning digital agency in London specialising in children's entertainment and brand development; Linda Tan Lingard, managing partner of Yusof Gajah Lingard Literary Agency in Malaysia; Robert Henley, writer and Director at the Writing Program at Yale-NUS College in Singapore; and Noelle de Jesus, Filipino writer and editor based in Singapore.

The literary festival and book industry summit is organised by NBDB in partnership with Yabang Pinoy, Aklatan and Filipino ReaderCon.

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List of Countries for New Princess Book

18/10/2014

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Here is an update on the new collaborative Princess book which will be launched at Frankfurt Book Fair 2015. A previous article provided the background for this project which was to collect stories of legendary princesses from around the world at the Frankfurt Book Fair this year. Malaysian publisher, Oyez!Books, represented by Linda Tan Lingard at the fair presented the list of countries below:

Belgium
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
China
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
India
Indonesia
Iran (Persia)
Korea
Netherlands
Philippines
Romania
Serbia
Singapore
Switzerland
Thailand
Turkey
UAE
UK (Wales)
Vietnam

Emila Yusof with a new friend from Germany

"Stories and legends of princesses were collected from people who dropped by Emila Yusof's table at the Malaysian stand. In some cases we went and asked at different country stands especially at Hall 5.0 where the international publishers were," explained Linda. Although 25 countries are listed here, there may be more than one contributor from a country.

The next step will be to follow up with the contributors for the full story, background and image references for the illustrator, Emila Yusof.

Many people at the fair loved the idea and all the more when they saw Emila's illustrations for her other books. In addition, a Spanish publisher has expressed interest in a co-edition.

Submissions and contributors were accepted only during the fair but all other queries may be addressed to: lindalingard@yusofgajahlingard.com.

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Stop trying to sell to the English-speaking world - we have too many books already

12/10/2014

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Richard Charkin on the front cover of the Show Daily of Publishing Perspectives

That was the advice given by Richard Charkin, CEO of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) and soon to be President of the International Publishers Association in his keynote speech, 'The Future of Rights in a Globalised World' at the Rights Directors Meeting held on the eve of the book fair.

He also said that if he were a foreign publisher he would ensure that he has world rights and publish the author in English as well. He was challenged from the floor by Anne-Solange Noble, rights director of French publishing house, Gallimard. Surely, she pointed out, he contradicted himself.

Richard Charkin explained that as English is a lingua franca, authors want to be published in English and the (foreign) publishers should do that as it's important to maintain a good relationship with their authors.

During coffee break, a Swiss-German publisher said to me she thought it was rather pompous of the speaker to assume that all authors want to be published in English.

I agreed with Richard Charkin and what he said was not new. Raman, publisher of Silverfish Books had said the same often enough - ie UK and US publishers do not need more books from us. On the other hand, Southeast Asia alone, for example, has a total population of 600 million and we are already each other's important trading partners, so why not books.

However, I paused for a moment to consider whether most authors want to be published in English. In Malaysia, we publish both English-language and Malay-language books and it's certainly better to be published in Malay as the market for Malay books is many times bigger.

I believe authors may want to be published in UK or in America because they believe, rightly or wrongly, 'if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere,' not to mention the reach and marketing power of the large publishing houses there.

As to non-English publishers publishing themselves an English translation of their books, Richard Charkin has surely underestimated the cost and time involved in producing a good translation. Admittedly, as Richard Charkin also pointed out, having an English edition will increase the chances of being translated into another language as most people can read English.

I would like to propose something different. I believe foreign publishers must make their books heard and known - not necessarily by translating every book into English but by spreading their news in English, which has the advantage of being a lingua franca, or in the language of the market they specifically wish to enter. Translations of a few chapters are necessary to gauge the writing style. In addition, trade books especially, must be backed by numbers. There are gut feelings and hunches involved in publishing but the numbers cannot be ignored.

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Emila Yusof invites you to contribute to her next book

6/10/2014

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Malaysian illustrator, Emila Yusof is planning her next book: Legendary Princesses of the World, following the success of her book, Legendary Princesses of Malaysia.

"My publisher, Oyez!Books and I were discussing the princesses we could include in my next book and we came out with the usual names - Cleopatra, Marie Antoinette, Elizabeth... I wasn't planning to go to Frankfurt Book Fair this year as I didn't have the budget but suddenly I received sponsorship from Malaysian Airlines (MAS). Dina, the little girl character in two of my books with the third book coming out next year, is flying with MAS. Here's a picture of her:"

We digress but that's how Emila found herself attending the Frankfurt Book Fair this year. More than 7,000 exhibitors from over 100 countries are at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Surely this is the place to get contributors for Emila's next book on legendary princesses.

So here's the deal: Come to the Malaysian stand Hall 5.0 D25 and look for Emila Yusof. She will give you a simple form to fill and you can write briefly about a legendary princess, real or mythical, from your country. Should your princess be selected to be included in the book, Emila will illustrate your princess and you will get a copy of the book which will be published by the next Frankfurt Book Fair, with your name beside the story in recognition of your contribution. Please note that submission is only accepted during the fair.

Emila at Frankurt last year

Coming next: Legendary Princesses of the World

I can't resist it. Here's an illustration by Emila Yusof that is a favourite of mine.

And since we are on the subject, here are the two Dina books: the English and Malay edition - love how the covers have changed!

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Malaysia at the Frankfurt Book Fair : Hall 5.0 E25 & D25

5/10/2014

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Malaysia has had a country stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair for some years. This year is no different with the lead government agency, the National Book Council. The stand is at Hall 5.0 E25 & D25.

Country stands or collective stands enable several publishers to share the cost of the exhibition space, with each member publisher paying less than if they were to take the whole stand themselves. Likewise, Malaysian publishers wishing to join the country stand are required to pay a fee to the lead, usually government, agency. The fee varies from year to year.

The reason for this variation is not always clear; either way publishers have to calculate the return on their investment and hope the government can assist them in their efforts in this difficult yet important task of exporting literature and culture. Their groans seem to have been heard for this year, the Book Council, together with several government agencies, have pooled their resources so that publishers joining the country stand are exempted from having to pay any fee. This news was greeted in typical fashion by publishers - close to twenty of them signed up to join the country stand, possibly the largest number in the history of the Malaysian stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Publishing is many things but it is also about margins. Now that their costs are reduced, no doubt Malaysian publishers joining the country stand are hoping this may be their best year yet, encouraged by the support from their government.

The 50 Best Malaysian Titles for International Rights at last year's Frankfurt Book Fair

Asst. Director from the National Book Council, Lynn Rahman with the tabloid.

The National Book Council has also prepared a special catalogue for Frankfurt Book Fair - the 50 Best Malaysian Titles for International Rights. This annual catalogue has been well received and publishers whose books have been selected may also use the recognition sticker on their books, even after the fair. In addition, publishers attending the fair are also featured in a 16-page tabloid. The catalogue and tabloid are distributed free during the fair.

Finally, business breakfast ala Malaysia, which means delicious, is available at the stand, free of charge, for the first three days of the fair.

Visit the Malaysia stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair - it's good for your body and mind.

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Kailash is a White Raven 2014

4/10/2014

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Oct 2, 2014. Oyez!Books is delighted to be informed today that Kailash by Quek Sue Yian and Khairul Azmir Shoib is a White Raven 2014 and part of the newly designed White Ravens Catalogue of the International Youth Library.

The White Ravens catalogue is produced annually and contains information on international book recommendations in the field of children’s and youth literature. After 30 years, the 2014 catalogue appears in a new layout: it now has 112 pages containing 200 short book reviews plus full-colour images of all the book covers. We congratulate the author and illustrator for the inclusion of their book along with others selected from all over the world.

The catalogue will be published prior to the Frankfurt Book Fair, 8-12th October 2014, where it can be consulted in digital form at the booth of the International Youth Library. At the following Bologna Children’s Book Fair, all the 200 books included in the catalogue will be on display at the International Youth Library’s stand. This long tradition allows booth visitors to peruse the books at leisure, leafing through and exploring them in detail.

Illustrator Khairul Azmir Shoib aka Meme

A White Raven for Kailash

Author Quek Sue Yian

About the Internationale Jugendbibliothek / International Youth Library

The International Youth Library which opened in 1949, is the largest library for international children’s and youth literature in the world. Since 1983, the International Youth Library has been housed in Blutenburg Castle in Munich. The historical building complex dates from the 15th century and has an underground cellar which provides an extensive storage area for the unique book collection spanning 400 years.

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Frankfurt Fellow from The Philippines: Andrea Pasion-Flores

3/10/2014

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The famous Frankfurt Fellowship programme was founded in 1998 to mark the 50th anniversary of the fair, and aims to support "information exchanges and networking, while enhancing the professionalism of international publishers, editors, agents and licensing personnel." This year the programme focuses on professionals working in children's and YA book (this is the first time the programme has a 'theme'). A few other firsts are also recorded by first-time countries, Belgium, Lebanon, Serbia, the Philippines and Thailand. Applications for the programme are usually accepted from March to April of the same year.

Andrea Pasion-Flores is this year's Fellow from the Philippines. I first met Andrea at the Asian Festival of Chidlren's Content, Singapore. As a Fellow myself (2012), I was curious to know about Andrea's experience and whether she enjoyed it as much as I did. But first, a brief background information about Andrea:

Andrea Pasion-Flores is a literary agent with Jacaranda Literary Agency. The former Executive Director of the National Book Development Board of the Philippines, Andrea is known for her pioneering work introducing high-impact literary events to the country. Andrea is also a copyright lawyer and teaches English at the University of the Philippines as a member of the faculty of the Department of English and Comparative Literature.

What have you and your fellows been doing for this Fellowship programme so far?

Theses past few days we've been visiting German publishers, big and small, and taking a look at what they're doing and how they're doing it. Publishers here are doing a lot of diverse and exciting things in both print, digital, and transmedia! The German publishing scene is very exciting, with a market that seems receptive to the creativity the publishers are showing. It feels like a vibrant book market with a very deep reader base. It makes me just a wee bit jealous. :)

The 'Kids' Fellows

What do you find most beneficial of the programme and the most treasured take away from it?

For me, I see the publishers' openness to the international market as very encouraging. Obviously, for publication of titles within Germany, they look to those countries who have been known to be writing in English, such as the US, UK, Canada and Australia. However, they seem to be more open to receiving content from the rest of the world, and that's very encouraging for people like me who represent many, many authors from diverse backgrounds. Though the mentioned countries are where the usual titles come from, it seems, at the end, people still look at the quality of the story and its appropriateness for the market. In fact, many of my colleagues keep mentioning how the reading levels of German children are very high. I love it that I'm getting to know a little bit about this market while enjoying the cities were visiting: Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Munch. All these feel like a rare gift.

In all your visits, what left the most impression on you?

The quality of the illustrations is topnotch, mainly because they are unafraid to tap the talent the world is able to offer. I think there's a lot developing markets can learn from the German scene, one of which is being open to cultural and economic exchanges.
Aside from the learnings, I don't think I'll ever forget having spent close to two weeks in the company of colleagues from around the world who have been more than generous in sharing their experiences--both good and bad. It's quite refreshing, really. Aside from the great food, good company, going around Germany to visit the publishers has allowed me to also enjoy Germany.

What are you taking to Frankfurt Book Fair this year?

I'm showing in a powerpoint the diversity of authors Jacaranda has and the variety of content we represent. I am also showcasing a bit of Filipino talent by showing colleagues a Filipino graphic novel series that's a big hit over here--both commercially and critically. Jacaranda didn't represent him, but he has a very interesting story. But showing books to colleagues is going to be tough given that the people I'm with are publishing such fantastic books. Jacaranda also has a few titles we hope editors might be interested in. One such title, I have, in fact, already promised to send an editor for consideration right after the fair. I'm very happy about that--and very hopeful that something might be realised from it. I'm crossing my fingers!

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Invitation to the SESA Alliance Party, Frankfurt Book Fair

3/10/2014

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