Rowling’s publisher a guest at book fair

HARRY Potter’s first publisher, as well as international award winners, are among the highlights of the upcoming Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair.

The guest list includes British publisher Barry Cunningham, who signed J.K. Rowling and published “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” in 1997.

The two recipients of this year’s Hans Christian Andersen Award, best-selling American illustrator David Shannon (No David! 1998) and Japanese children’s author Eiko Kadono (Kiki’s Delivery Service 1985), will also attend.

The fair will be divided into three sections — a professional area reserved for those in the trade with seminars and workshops, a public section filled with book signings, reading sessions and other fun activities for kids, and a transitional area.

It is also the first time the six-year-old fair is being co-organized with the BolognaFiere, organizer of the 55-year-old Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

BolognaFiere promised to bring more participants from more diverse cultures.

“We are quite pleased they have delivered,” said Xu Jiong, head of the Shanghai Press and Publication Bureau, host of the fair.

“It is not only the greatly increased number of international exhibitors, but also the diversity of it, with those visiting from Mexico, India and Indonesia, among many others.”

“We are an international fair. If there are only publishers from big Western countries, it is not international.”