On the afternoon of April 8, 2024, during the 61st Bologna International Children's Book Fair, the "Exploration of Chinese and Foreign Picture Book Co-creation" event hosted by Jieli Publishing House was successfully held in the activity area of the China Joint Booth. This year, China will make its debut at the Bologna International Children's Book Fair (CCBF) in 2024, showcasing the fruitful achievements of Chinese children's book publishing on the world stage, showcasing the new landscape of the Chinese market, and promoting international exchanges and cooperation.
With the theme of "Exploring the Road of Joint Creation of Chinese and Foreign Picture Books", this event aims to promote the exchange and cooperation of children's book publishing between China and foreign countries, and provide more high-quality and rich works for children's readers around the world.
The Chinese guests attending the event were: Cao Wenxuan, a writer of children's literature and winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, Bai Bing, a writer of children's literature and editor-in-chief of Jieli Publishing House, Chen Hui, professor of the School of Literature of Beijing Normal University and director of the Chinese Picture Book Creation Research Center of Beijing Normal University, Li Hongqiang, editor-in-chief of People's Literature Publishing House, Tang Ling, deputy editor-in-chief of Jieli Publishing House, and Li Yaning, director of the Children's Branch. The foreign guests were: Alain Serre, a children's writer and publisher of World Road Press, Alexandra Genech-Ruscone, Senior Editor of the Children's and Young People's Books Division of Junti Publishing House in Italy, and Woo Ji-young, Editor-in-Chief of Reading Bear Publishing House in Korea. The guests had a lively discussion on the popular themes in the joint creation of Chinese and foreign picture books, as well as the significance and experience of Sino-foreign cooperation. The event was presided over by Hai Mengxue, editor of the infant and child branch of the relay publishing house.
Cao Wenxuan, a writer of children's literature and winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, said: First, picture books are not just simple illustrated books, they require profound cultural heritage and creativity, and excellent picture books should be able to embody the author's education, knowledge, and imagination; second, the ideas of excellent picture books should be unique and ingenious, and the content should be able to touch people's hearts and arouse people's emotional resonance. The content of picture books should reveal the mysteries and truths of the world by focusing on small things, and the creation of picture books should naturally integrate into national culture, while paying attention to literature, human exploration and storytelling.
Alexandra Gnaci-Ruscone, Senior Editor of the Children's and Young Adult Books Division of Junti Publishing House in Italy, enthusiastically shared her experience in publishing Bronze Sunflower, emphasizing the literary value and artistry of Cao Wenxuan's work. At the same time, she believes that the cooperation between writers and illustrators requires constant communication and running-in, so that the text and illustrations can achieve a natural balance, and the publisher also plays a very active role in the whole creative process.
Bai Bing, a children's literature writer and editor-in-chief of Jieli Publishing House, said that the joint creation of picture books by Chinese and foreign writers and painters can bring a new cooperation model to the world and bring vitality to children's book publishing. At the same time, they examine the same subject matter from different perspectives, taking into account the needs of their own children and the reading and appreciation habits of foreign children, which will undoubtedly make more Chinese and foreign readers love their picture books, thus bringing more opportunities to copyright trade and more readers to the world children's book market. This kind of artistic exchange, cultural exchange, and mutual learning between civilizations can learn from each other's strengths, improve the creative level of Chinese and foreign picture books, and promote the development of picture books in China and the world.
Alain Serre, a children's writer and publisher of World Road Press, believes that in the joint creation of writers and painters, the painter's freedom of creation can lead to a unique interpretation of the text, and may even discover elements and ideas that the author has not noticed. At the same time, he proposed that the publisher should not only be the publisher of the work, but also play an active role in the creation process of the work. Alain also emphasized the importance of the "spirit of children", believing that this is a field beyond the reach of artificial intelligence and any algorithm, and is a priceless treasure for humanity.
Chen Hui, a professor at the School of Literature at Beijing Normal University and director of the Chinese Picture Book Creation Research Center at Beijing Normal University, emphasized the complementary advantages of both sides in the cooperation between China and foreign picture books. Chinese writers often have a deep cultural background and solid storytelling skills, while foreign painters may have unique insights and innovations in visual arts and illustration techniques. Chen Hui discussed the basis for the successful cooperation of picture books, including the relationship between pictures and words, the collision and stimulation of literature and art, and the integration and achievement of diverse cultures and historical traditions in different regions. She believes that successful collaborations are based on mutual respect and understanding, and that creators need to explore and innovate together.
This event delved into the meaning, methods and future development trends of Sino-foreign joint picture books. Chinese and foreign guests believed that the joint creation of picture books by Chinese and foreign writers and painters has promoted the exchange and collision between different cultures, brought new ideas and perspectives to picture books, provided Chinese and foreign children with more rich and valuable picture book reading resources, enriched the content and form of picture books, and enhanced the exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign picture book creation and publishing circles, which is of great significance for promoting the creation and development of picture books at home and abroad, and enhancing the communication between children in various countries.
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