The KLIBF has got to be the most exciting book fair in Malaysia. Every year, more than a million visitors throng the halls of Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) to buy books, meet their favourite authors and to take advantage of special promotions and discounts offered during the fair. This year was no different. At last count, the organiser of the fair, the National Book Council of Malaysia, estimated about 1.8 million people had visited the fair.

All four floors of the PWTC were filled and the programme list was a long one – book launches, contests, prize giving ceremonies, seminars, talks, panel discussions, and performances took place every hour on the main stage and in different rooms.

According to the Director of the National Book Council, Mr Abd. Wahab Ibrahim, there were 250 exhibitors comprising both local and foreign publishers taking up a total of 750 stands.

Near the main stage, one could not miss the brand new Myvi MPV which the Institute of Translation and Books was offering as first prize to a lucky winner who spent a minimum of RM50 at their stand.

Reward for a lucky reader

Razin Abd Rahman, General Manager of the Kota Buku was busy with daily talks by invited speakers and celebrated World Book and Copyright Day on 3rd May.

Razin from Kota Buku with speakers Fauzul Naim Ishak and Zamri Mohamad for the session, 'From Readers to Writers'.

On Level Five, a group of more than 100 participants were busy learning to write and illustrate children’s books with facilitators Yusof Gajah and Izzah Abd Aziz, a workshop organised by the National Book Council of Malaysia.

Tan Sri Dr Asiah Abu Samah, Chairman of Kota Buku and GM Razin with Malaysian artist Yusof Gajah, viewing some of the picture books done by teachers.

Here are more images from the fair:

Karangkraf, Malaysia's largest Malay book and magazine publisher took a whole hall and early morning sees their cashiers getting ready for the day

It was a good idea as the Karangkraf hall was soon filled

Crowds at the stand of the PTS Media Group, one of Malaysia's leading trade book publisher

Ana Muslim which began life as a magazine has a range of merchandise for their young fans

Comics galore at the Gempak Starz stand

Academic publications are a staple

Academic and higher-ed publishers were located on the fourth floor away from the crowds for trade books but they were kept busy too

Well-known brands are a never failing presence at the KLIBF

Artists at work on caricatures

Accepted wisdom is not to be everything to everyone but it does seem that the KLIBF has something for everyone.

Two days before the book fair started, a four-day rights fair was held at the Trade & Copyright Centre (TCC) on Level 5 of PWTC.  The KLIBF is primarily a consumer fair and the rights fair is an attempt to add a rights trading element to it. Now in its fourth edition, it has grown significantly and this year saw 50 exhibitors from countries around the region.

In addition, the number of new publishers, visitors and range of books as well as book-linked merchandise indicated that there are a lot of opportunities for the publishing industry, not to mention its offshoots and crossmedia possibilities.

The signs are encouraging and there is a lot more room to grow. Are we prepared for it?

But for now, kudos to the National Book Council of Malaysia and their partners.

See you at the TCC/Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair 2013!

Something for everyone

The Kuala Lumpur Trade and Copyright Centre (KLTCC) opened to exhibitors and trade visitors on Wed 25 April. Fifty exhibitors from China, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam make the KLTCC the largest rights fair in southeast Asia.

Indeed, that is the goal of the organiser, the National Book Council of Malaysia and if the first two days of the fair are anything to go by, the KLTCC is off to a good start.

The Malaysian rights fair was initiated four years ago by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), a government agency that encourages export. While a number of Malaysian publishers were regularly making annual trips to international fairs like the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and the Frankfurt Book Fair, the majority of Malaysian publishers were not familiar with rights selling or if they were, they did not feel ready to venture into the international arena.

Raymond Yeo from Kualiti Books, Malaysia

Things have changed since then. Government incentives, a growing domestic market which has resulted in more quality books; and success stories at international fairs, have encouraged publishers to view their books not merely as physical items but as intellectual property (IP).

Recognising the importance of getting publishers to understand IP, the National Book Council invited Ms Lynette Owen, the publishing IP guru for a three-day seminar with publishers in Kuala Lumpur last year. The seminar was attended not only by Malaysians but also Indonesians and Singaporeans.

Nevertheless, it is still a steep learning curve for many. And for those who have started selling rights, they have to restrategise to see how they can sell better overseas and how buying foreign rights can enhance their own portfolio to compete on the increasingly competitive home ground.

For Malaysian publishers, the KLTCC is a good place to start. This year’s fair sees regular exhibitors in addition to new exhibitors and ten animation companies.

Foreign publishers and agents who have participated in previous years have returned including Big Apple Agency from China, Tuttle Mori Agency, EQ Plus Group, and Plan for Kids from Thailand, Mizan Publishing House and Gramedia Group from Indonesia, and Armour Publishing from Singapore.

ChoiceMaker, Korea

For The ChoiceMaker, Korea, it was their first visit to the fair and to Malaysia. CEO Mr Lim admitted that they were not sure what to expect but were overwhelmed by the response they received. They were kept busy and in particular, their Joy Cowley English books were very well received.

Ms Le Chi from Le Chi Culture and Communications Co, Vietnam was also a first time exhibitor at the KLTCC although she has been dealing with Malaysian publishers. She brought with her novels from Vietnamese authors and was keen to add bestselling novels to her list. In the four years since she has established her company, Ms Le Chi has bought the Vietnamese rights for about 150 foreign titles and published close to 100 titles.

Alpha Books from Vietnam which had previously bought ‘Doctor in the House’, the memoir of Malaysia’s former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, were also first time exhibitors at KLTCC.

Mr Phil Tatham of Monsoon Press from Singapore came to promote his books in particular ‘Shadow Play’ by Barbara Ismail, the first of a new detective series set in Kelantan, on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Hello Vietnam session

Ms Sonia Santiago who represented Rex Book Store from the Philippines, was a new exhibitor at KLTCC although she was no stranger due to her active involvement in the Asean Book Publishers Association.

Overall, the Malaysian rights fair at KLTCC has been a positive experience for many and it looks set to keep growing.

Indeed, following the success of KLTCC, neighbouring countries Singapore and Indonesia had started their inaugural rights fair last year. Such competition can only be good for the publishing industry in south east Asia.

It is high time too as Asian writers strive to get themselves heard whether in their own language or in translation, in print or in ebooks.

One question remains: which country will be host to the rights fair/book fair in the region? Which country can offer the most and what are needed? Your comments are welcome.

Linda Tan Lingard is Director of Yusof Gajah Lingard Literary Agency. She has been participating in the KLTCC since 2009 when it first started.

Exhibitors are from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, China and Vietnam.

An exciting development, according to Arief Hakim, project manager of KLTCC 2012 is the number of animation studios that have signed up for the fair. This indicates rising cross media trends and presents an opportunity for publishers and production houses to explore how they can work together. Publishers may be interested to license properties from the studios for books and other print-related products such as stationery or have their own content converted into animation products.

In line with this development, two sessions will be held during the fair on cross-media case studies and success.

From Malaysia, Hj Burhan, founder and managing director of Les’ Copaque Production Sdn Bhd, will talk about how ‘Upin and Ipin’, the best selling homegrown animated movie penetrated the international market.

From Indonesia, Putut Widjanarko, CEO of Mizan Productions will talk about how ‘Laskar Pelangi’ which was adapted from a novel of the same title written by Andrea Hirata, became the highest grossing movie in Indonesian box-office history.

KLTCC 2012 also welcomes trade visitors. Whether you are a publisher, producer, agent, writer, illustrator, animator, bookseller or distributor, you will find many opportunities to meet relevant players in the industry, to learn and to network.

Arief suggests the following action plan:

1. Register as trade visitors at http://www.tcckualalumpur.com/register

2. Make appointments with the exhibitors using the online appointment tool.

3. Make time to learn new things at the seminar sessions.

4. Network and make new business at TCC 2012.

Abu Dhabi, 28 March. The Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia (MBKM) – the National Book Council of Malaysia – is participating in the 22^nd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) which will run from 28 March-2 April 2012.

Getting ready at the Malaysia stand

The fair takes place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and is supported by the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority. It combines business-to-business opportunities for the publishing industry with a rich and diverse cultural consumer programme.

The 22^nd edition of ADIBF sees a 10% increase in participation with 904 exhibitors from 54 countries, two thirds of which will come from Arab countries.

The ADIBF is also committed to being an eco-friendly, ‘Green Fair’ and all collateral and giveaway items are produced from recycled paper, fabric and biodegradable material.

In addition to regular programmes such as the Cultural Programme, Professional Programme, Illustrators Corner and Creativity Corner, the ADIBF 2012 boasts of a vast array of new initiatives such as Autographs [Tawaqee] sessions, Arab Rights Showcase and DAAD Project.

Beatrice Stauffer, Sales Manager of Kitab, organiser of ADIBF, introducing the Arab Rights Showcase

The Arab Rights Showcase will feature the best in new publications in Arabic for which foreign rights are available.

The DAAD Initiative introduces a living model of support for writers who receive backing and facilities from the organizers.

The Autographs (‘Tawaqee’ in Arabic) sessions are aimed at bringing authors, publishers and readers on a common platform during the fair, an initiative aimed at encouraging more talented authors to write and people to read.

As a part of the Cultural Programme, the best of Arab and international authors will come together to hold a diverse and rich mix of panels, talks, debates and book signing sessions.

Part of the Malaysian stand which showcases Malaysian authors and illustrators

The Professional Programme will involve a series of panels, matchmakings, talks, roundtables and presentations targeted at assessing the state of today’s book publishing industry and offering insights into international benchmarks and best practices.

ADIBF’s Creativity Corner activities will touch on all the aspects of education from reading, illustration, writing and reading attitudes.

The Illustrators’ Corner is a dedicated exhibition area where illustrators, designers and agencies will introduce their work to fellow publishing professionals as well as the general public.

The fair will open daily from 9am to 10pm, except for Friday when it will be open from 4pm to 10pm.

The last day of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair was a good wrap up to the four-day fair for the Malaysian Pavilion. More than 300 visitors have visited the Malaysian Pavillion and every single copy of the Best Malaysian Children’s Books catalogue has been given out while only about a dozen of the Malaysia@Bologna news tabloid remained on the reception counter.

“We received positive response to our books and programmes this year,” said Norhayati Razali, assistant director at MBKM and project manager of the Malaysian pavilion. “We exhibited a wide range of books, from picture books to novels and this has indeed been our strategy this year. The aim was to showcase the wide range of books that Malaysian publishers publish and that they are of quality and international standard.”

“Tastes and preferences vary widely and from country to country,” added Linda T Lingard, a Malaysian literary agent who was one of the participants at the Malaysian pavilion, “and there is something for everyone here.”

Lingard was quick to add that this was not an attempt to try to please everyone which would have been impossible. However, the variety of books reflects the rich and varied culture in Malaysia.

Several books that the agency represent which had attracted a lot of attention were the Hayley’s Vegemania Garden and Hayley’s Fruitatastic Garden series by Mohna Gill, published by MPH; Land Below the Wind by Awang Fadilah, published by Picture Book Art; Kailash written by Quek Sue Yian and illustrated by Khairul Azmir Shoib, published by Voice of the Children; and Cats in the Rubbish jointly written by Peter Worthington and Laura Corner, illustrated by Queenie Chow, published by Voice of the Children.

Malaysian books also attracted the attention of reviewers. A magazine publisher from Netherlands requested to review and feature the Malaysian Art Book for Children, written by Rahel Joseph and Jo Kukathas, published by Khazanah Nasional in her magazine, BoekieBoekie.

Bookbird, the IBBY (International Board of Books for Young People) journal of children’s literature took a copy of Kailash to review in their journal.

Corinne Robson from Canada and Marjorie Coughland, both editors of Papertigers.org, a website that features multicultural books in English from anywhere in the world, with a particular focus on the Pacific Rim and South Asia, said they will be doing a feature on children’s books from Malaysia for one their themes.

“We have met many people and made many friends at Bologna,” said Norhayati, “and we hope this is a start that will see closer cooperation and the sharing of great literature for children.”

Mohana Gill

The Malaysian pavilion was pleased to welcome Ms Elizabeth O’Donnell from the Australian Publishing Association and Mr David Ling from Duck Creek Press, New Zealand on the third day of the fair.

Norhayati Razali, assistant director of the Malaysian Book Council and project manager for the Malaysian pavilion expressed her hope that this will see a start to further cooperation between Malaysia and Australia as well as with New Zealand as these two countries are very near to Malaysia not only in terms of physical distance but also in the hearts of Malaysians.

Following the brief introduction from our friends in Australia and New Zealand, Mohana Gill, author of the Hayley’s series gave a talk on healthy eating for children. Mohana gave some helpful tips to encourage children to eat more vegetables and fruits such as having healthy tidbits available and within reach at home and colourful presentation of healthy food.

Datin Rossiti with one of the visitors admiring her book.

Mohana was followed by Datin Rossiti who introduced her two books on wildlife – Manja the Orangutan and Puteri Tioman the Green Turtle. She also introduced her soon to be published book, Siti the Elephant. Datin Rossiti spoke of the need to be environmentally conscious and to protect Malaysia’s rich resource of wildlife and plants.

The Malaysian pavilion at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair is bustling again this morning to welcome Dr Ming, vice-president of the China Board of Books for Young People. Although the microphone failed at the last minute, Dr Ming managed to enthrall the audience with an inspiring speech.

He pointed out that Malaysia and China already have close economic ties and this should include books as well. There are about 600 publishers in China, he added, and they are looking for good content. There are therefore good opportunities for more books from Malaysia to be translated into Chinese. Dr Ming also praised the Malaysian stand and was impressed that the number and quality of books on display have improved from last year.

Yusof Gajah's latest book, published by the ITBM in collaboration with the Goethe Institute, Malaysia.

In the afternoon, Mr Khair Ngadiron, CEO of the Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia (ITBM) or the Malaysian Institute of Translation  & Books launched their latest children’s book which has been illustrated by Malaysian artist and children’s book writer and illustrator, Mr Yusof Gajah. ‘Sang Montel’ tells the story of a tiny elephant who was separated from his parents and went on a search for them. He encountered many other animals and adventures in his travels. The book is a collaborative effort with the Goethe Institute, Malaysia who provided the text of the story.

Yusof Gajah entertaining guests with his elephant drawings.

After the launch, Yusof Gajah entertained lucky guests with drawings of elephant on one of his books, the Elephabet doodle book. Guests were asked to make a scribble on the inside of the book which Yusof Gajah then turned into a drawing of an elephant. Everyone was delighted and amazed by the results. All in, everyone had a good time at the launch.

According to Norhayati Razali, assistant director of the National Book Council of Malaysia and project manager for the Malaysian stand, she is satisfied with how things are going so far during the first two days of the fair. From the guest books filled and catalogues given out, more than 200 people have visited the Malaysian stand. Several of the Malaysian publishers have also made good contacts with new clients and she hopes to be able to give more specific figures after the fair.

Final touches to the Malaysian stand.

The first day of the world’s biggest children’s book fair, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair opened today to a bright and sunny day. At the Malaysian pavilion in Hall 29 B41, everyone was busy putting up their books and adding finishing touches.

The fair started at 9.00am and one hour later, visitors were pouring in. The Best Malaysian Children’s Book Catalogue with its bright cover attracted a lot of attention and many stopped to get a copy. Visitors were also curious by the Malaysia @Bologna tabloid which the Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia (MBKM) or the National Book Council of Malaysia had specially prepared for the fair. The tabloid contained in-depth coverage of selected books and publishers. By noon, the reception desk had filled two guest books and had to top up the catalogues from the storeroom.

Norhayati Razali welcomed Malaysian pavilion guests

Visitors were publishers, literary agents, illustrators and writers, librarians and teachers. They wanted to know what’s new, what’s available, and how they can work with Malaysian publishers.

At 2.30pm, Norhayati Razali, assistant director at MBKM and project manager for the Malaysian pavilion welcomed guests to the joint launch of the Best Malaysian Children’s Books catalogues and the 10 books published under the Teachers’ Gallery.

Dato’ Misrah, Head of Inspectorate & Quality Assurance, Ministry of Education gave his speech to a full house. He congratulated MBKM for producing the inaugural catalogue and the books under the Teachers’ Gallery.

Dato' Misrah, Head, Inspectorate & Quality Assurance, Ministry of Education speaking to a full house at the Malaysian pavilion

The Teachers’ Gallery was a three-month workshop conducted by Malaysian artist and children’s book writer and illustrator, Yusof Gajah, with the support of MBKM. Thirty teachers were trained in the workshop and at the end of the workshop, each teacher had to produce a 16-page picture book. The ten best books were selected for publication and launched at Bologna. Four of the teachers were at the Fair and were warmly congratulated by everyone for their books.

Apart from the teachers, several Malaysian authors have also made their way to the fair including Mohana Gill who wrote the Hayley Vegemania and Fruitastic series; Datin Rossiti who has written two environmental books for children; and Nisah Haron who has published a number of books.

10 Books by teachers being launched at Bologna

Both Mohana Gill and Datin Rossiti will be presenting their books on Wednesday 21 Mar 2012.

Author Mohana Gill with promoting her Hayley books at the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2012

Tomorrow promises to be another busy day at the Malaysian pavilion. There will be a forum with Chinese publishers at 11.00am. In the afternoon, at 2.30pm there will be a launch of Yusof Gajah’s latest book, Sang Montel, published by the Malaysian Institute of Translation & Books with the collaboration of the Goethe Institute, Malaysia.

Keep up with the daily news at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair at the KotaBuku Bookmark.

KUALA LUMPUR 14 Mar 2012. Last year, the Malaysian government announced that it aimed to increase the number of books published annually from 15,000 to 26,000.  Children’s books, including textbooks, which comprise slightly more than 50 per cent of the total books published annually in Malaysia is thus an important sector.

There has also been increased awareness in the buying and selling of translation rights among publishers in general. This has led to rising interest among local publishers to explore the overseas market.

According to Norhayati Razali, assistant director at the National Book Council of Malaysia (Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia – MBKM) and project manager for the Malaysian pavilion at the Bologna International Children’s Book Fair (BICBF), this year’s total of 36 Malaysians attending the fair is the biggest team she has led in her four years of participation at the fair. The team is made up of publishers, organizations, writers, illustrators and teachers.

The thirteen publishers and organizations comprising the Malaysian team are:

1. National Book Council of Malaysia which is leading the team
2. Textbook Division, Ministry of Education
3. Malaysian Institute of Translation & Books
4. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (Institute of Language and Literature Malaysia)
5. Cerdik Publications Sdn Bhd
6. Gajah Gajah Gallery
7. Grup Media Karangkraf
8. Nadi-Ayu Technologies Sdn Bhd
9. Integra Majujaya
10. Saba Islamic Media Sdn Bhd
11. Sya Bizyana Dynamics Sdn Bhd
12. Ujana Ilmu Enterprise
13. Yusof Gajah Lingard Literary Agency

While a number of the publishers have been to BICBF several times, it will be the first time for many of them. A few of the publishers will be looking to sell rights while others are interested to buy rights or to obtain distribution rights. For all of them it will be an opportunity to see what’s new in terms of technology and to do some market research at the world’s biggest children’s book fair.

Among the first timers are teachers Zulkarnine Md Deany from SK Tunku Munawir Kuala Pilah Negeri Sembilan; Noraida Ahmad and Jamilah Husin, both from SMK Batu Kikir (Modal Khas), Negeri Sembilan and Naemah Ismail, Headmistress of SK Putrajaya Presint 8 (2), Putrajaya. The four teachers have attended a three-month picture book workshop for teachers organized by the Ministry of Education with instructor Yusof Gajah. The outcome of the workshop was a series of picture books and the ten best have been selected by MBKM for publication. The ten books will also be launched on the first day of the Bologna Book Fair. All four teachers are excited that their books have not only been selected for publication but will also be launched at BICBF.

This is also the first year that MBKM has produced a catalogue of the Best Malaysian Children’s Books. A total of 50 titles, not including series, have been selected. They are divided into the following categories: picture books and story books, folktales, non-fiction and educational books, Islamic titles, tween and YA books, and graphic novels.

MBKM has also selected six books for submission to the Bologna Ragazzi Award. The books are:

1. Puteri Tioman the Green Turtle by Rossiti Aishah Rashidi, illustrated by Farrah Ashiela Samsuri
2. Hayley’s Vegemania Garden by Mohana Gill, illustrated by Tan Vay Fern
3. Yusof Gajah Creative Learning Series by Yusof Gajah
4. Longhouse Days, written and illustrated by Jainal Amambing
5. The Magic Buffalo, written and illustrated by Jainal Amambing
6. Land Below the Wind, written and illustrated by Awang Fadilah

Translation rights of several Malaysian children’s books have been sold successfully overseas. They include: Chinese rights to Mohana Gill’s ‘Hayley’s Vegemania Garden’ and ‘Hayley’s Fruitastic Garden’; Chinese rights to Odnonata’s YA titles; Korean rights to Yusof Gajah’s ‘Hendak ke Mana, Cantik?’; and Iranian rights to ‘Ensaiklopedia Sains & Al Quran Kanak-Kanak’.

Foreign publishers looking to add to their collection of folktales from around the world may wish to browse the folktales section at the Malaysian Pavilion. “Apart from the more popular folktales from Malaysia, there are also stories from indigenous minority tribes,” says Norhayati.

There is also a rich selection of Islamic titles including illustrated stories for children and Islamic historical fiction. Not to be missed are tween and YA titles which are available in Malay, English and Chinese languages.

MBKM has organized forums and book launches at the Malaysian pavilion for the first three days of the fair:

• 19 March, 2.30pm – Launch of Best Malaysian Children’s Books Catalogue and Teachers’ Gallery
• 20 March, 11.00am – Forum with Chinese Publishers
• 20 March, 2.30pm – Launch of Sang Montel by Yusof Gajah (published by the  Malaysian Institute of Translation & Books in cooperation with the Goethe Institute Malaysia)
• 21 March, 11.00am – Forum with Australian/New Zealand publishers followed by Launch of Puteri Tioman the Green Turtle and talk by Mohana Gill on Healthy Eating for Children
• 21 March 2.30pm – Presentation by Nadi-Ayu on digital books and apps for children; Presentation by Saba Islamic Media; Book launch by Cerdik Publications; Demonstration of Congkak, a traditional game

Visitors to the Malaysian Pavilion, Hall 29 B41, can expect to find something new and different and may also get lucky at lucky draws. All are welcome.

For further enquiries, please contact:

Norhayati Razali at norhayati.razali@moe.gov.my
or Linda Tan at lindalingard@yusofgajahlingard.com