Welcome to the Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF).
We express our appreciation for the publishers and participants who have waited patiently for an update on the SIBF 2020.
As announced in May, the SIBF is planning a new form of a book fair this year to enable interaction among publishers, authors, and readers amid the ongoing “distancing in daily life” and circumstantial uncertainties.
At a time demanding of a new paradigm when people are quickly becoming physically isolated and activities non-contact/online oriented, the SIBF has asked itself numerous questions: How should the book fair transform? How should the means of rapport amongst publishers, distributors, and readers change? How could the experiences online and offline be bridged, synergized, and expanded? Under the theme “Entanglement,” this year’s SIBF seeks to offer an experience that traverses the online and offline worlds with books as intermediaries that connect the two worlds.
The SIBF 2020 will:1) Proceed over the course of 10 days from Friday, October 16 to Sunday, October 25. 2) Consist of both online and offline programs that enable participants to stroll back and forth between the two interconnected worlds with books as intermediaries. 3) Curate books in cooperation with participating publishers, letting readers read them online and interact with the authors through various modes. 4) Offer readers access to some 40 online seminars (lectures, discussions, etc.) related to the theme of the fair, “XYZ: Entanglement,” that will bring them face to face with diverse contemporary topics including the Anthropocene, climate change, millennials, feminism, and crimes.5) Broaden the experience of a book by fusing it with various other genres of interest—music, cooking, animals, and more. 6) Organize offline exhibitions and cultural programs that bridge publishers and bookstores as well as programs that introduce books and authors via online media such as videos and podcasts. 7) Organize “Book-City-Walk,” an urban experience project through which participants can stroll through bookstores and cultural spaces in Seoul, discovering various programs with books as intermediaries while creating a map of their journeys. 8) Provide new experiences through special web-based programs exploring the genres of detective, mystery, thriller, and horror that allow readers to witness and experience crime scenes in the physical offline world. 9) Accumulate information regarding overseas markets and Korean and overseas works for copyright export. An interactive online platform will also enable communication amongst experts. 10) Offer the programs “The Moscow International Book Fair: Online Program for Korea, the Guest of Honor” and “The Seoul International Book Fair: Online Program for Russia, the Guest of Honor” in celebration of the year of cultural exchange between South Korea and Russia.
The SIBF 2020 will be a new challenge and experience for all—organizers and participants, both publishers and readers alike. This is uncharted territory, and inconveniences and challenges may await, but your enthusiastic participation and propositions can help shape a new future for the book fair.
The SIBF team’s enthusiasm is blazing hotter than the summer heat in preparation for this year’s postponed fair scheduled for Fall. We look forward to your attention and cooperation and to hearing your fun ideas and creative suggestions. Thank you.
● Dates: October 16 (Friday) – October 25 (Sunday) 2020, 10 days
● Theme: XYZ: Entanglement
● Ambassadors: Heung-Min Son (a soccer player), Eun-I Song (an entertainer), and Cho-Yeop Kim (a SF author) (following poster sequence)
● Organized by: Korean Publishers Association
● Hosted by: Korean Publishers Association
● Sponsored by: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea and Korean Publishing Foundation
