In its inaugural outing at Frankfurt Book Fair next week, the ASEAN Forum looks at both successes and challenges in a 10-market region comprising 600 million people.
Industry Notes: 2020 World Book Capital; Political Book Sales in the US; PRH Names New CFO
Kuala Lumpur is the 2020 World Book capital; more political books in the US released and compete with growing sales of Woodward’s ‘Fear’; and PRH has a new CFO.
At Frankfurt’s ‘The Markets’: Arief Hakim on the Malaysian Industry’s Challenges
Tested by years of economic struggles, Malaysian publisher Arief Hakim watches for signs of benefit in change. It’s been ‘a perfect storm,’ he says.
At Kuala Lumpur Book Fair, Publishers Say Paper Costs Under Control
In Free Malaysia Today: Publishing players say that expected increases in paper costs are less a worry than growing numbers of local authors.
Malaysia Is Guest of Honor at Riyadh International Book Fair
Stressing ‘intellectual momentum’ for Saudi Arabia’s younger citizens, the ministry of culture plans a complex 10-day program for the 2017 fair in Riyadh.
Southeast Asia’s Rising Publishing World: An Interview With Kenneth Quek
Southeast Asia’s publishing industries show promising signs of growth despite being under-translated and overly vulnerable to censorship, says Kenneth Quek.
‘Frivolous’ Themes: Criticism of Popular Reading in Malaysia
‘Our kids are reading sillier books,’ says an educational leader in Malaysia, where a debate is ongoing about the quality of literature popular with young people.
Asia’s Potential Monsoon of Ebook Sales: Philip Tatham on ASEAN
‘The reason we want to start selling ebooks direct into ASEAN,’ says Monsoon’s Philip Tatham, is because it’s a major and rare territory still without heavy competition from major ebook retailers.
Consumer Confidence: A Recessionary State of Mind
Nielsen sees 55 percent of those surveyed on global consumer confidence saying that in the fourth quarter of 2015, they believed the were in recession.
Malaysia Wants A Nobel Prize for Literature
Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister challenges Malaysian authors to produce work that will win international recognition — and a Nobel Prize by 2057.