New voices from China turn new literary page

This year's Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany attracts 7,100 exhibitors from more than 100 countries, and 277,000 commercial and private visitors. [Photo/Agencies]

Renate Reichstein, a former president of the Association of German Children's Book Publishers, agreed there's a huge gap between Chinese reading German books and vice versa.

Around 25 percent of the new titles published in Germany are translated, and China may rank between 20 and 25 in German copyright intakes. Further, up to 0.3 percent of its overall new titles originate in China.

"German publishers and readers should look east," Reichstein says of Chinese children's books.

German publisher Reclam's release of a full translation of Journey to the West by Eva Ludi Kong at the fair showed the continued interest in Chinese classics.

Though this year the Chinese presence was larger than the previous two or three, the fair's organizers like vice-president Holger Volland said he hoped to see more Chinese writers in the future.

Contact the writer at meijia@chinadaily.com.cn