Publishers eyeing a hat-trick of successes

Some English-language books on China or written by Chinese to be released this year.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"We are focusing on books that either explain how China's recent development has been achieved, or ones that reinterpret traditional culture," Li said.

Foreign Language Press said it will publish multilingual versions of "authoritative interpretations" of policy development and easy-to-read explanations on developments with the rule of law, the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) and deepening economic and social reform.

China Intercontinental Press will publish a series of books in several languages, the English version of which will be titled You and Us. The series will examine relationships between China and other countries through the eyes of diplomats.

Eric Abrahamsen, editor of Pathlight magazine and founder of Paper Republic, an agency that promotes Chinese literature worldwide, said foreign publishers are looking for Chinese stories with best-seller potential, with more idiosyncratic voices, and by controversial writers.

"Translation of Chinese poetry is getting stronger. I think more and more mainstream authors from China are being published in the West, as well as more of the country's younger authors."

However, it is still early days.

In 2002, the ratio of foreign titles bought overseas to the number of Chinese titles sold was 15-to-1. That year, only 18 Chinese titles were sold in Western markets, according to the General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.