Paju Autumn Book Festivals Galore
(Published September 13, 2012)

Paju Booksori 2012 scheduled to take place between September 15 and 23, with seminars by prestigious authors Guy Sorman and Jean-Marie Gustav Le Clézio

◇ Scenes from last year’s Paju Booksori opening ceremony ⓒ G-News Plus

Asia’s largest book festival, Paju Booksori 2012, starts on September 15th.

The event, sponsored by Gyeonggi Province and Paju City and hosted by the Paju Booksori Organizational Committee, will take place in over 100 buildings in Paju Book City for nine days from September 15 to 23.

The festival will feature over 130 programs, exhibitions, seminars, and performances that celebrate books. Over 1,000 writers will mix with 10,000 readers all over Book City, transforming it into a “Festival of Intelligence.”

HANGEUL NADRI 569 is being held to celebrate the 569^th anniversary of hangeul (created in 1443), and the main exhibit of Paju Booksori 2012, which will be on display from September 15 to October 9 (Hangeul Day) at the multipurpose hall of the Asia Publication Culture & Information Center.

Most previous hangeul-related exhibitions have focused on its typographic properties and commercial potential. This time the audience will be given a chance to explore the Korean alphabet’s past.

There are plenty of seminars to choose from, as specialists on history, publishing, culture, and other areas will be sharing their knowledge. Guy Sorman, a world-renowned scholar, Jean-Marie Gustav Le Clézio, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and leading author in contemporary French literature, and Sato Genichi, Japan’s most notable historic novelist, will be there too.

Korea’s greatest scholars Sin Yeong-bok, Gwon Yeong-min, and Professor Do Jeong-il will also be present to discuss humanitarian values with readers. The seminars can be booked in advance free of charge.

The Paju Book Awards were established by top publishing representatives from Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, and other Northeast Asian nations. Participants from Europe, Australia, and Malaysia, the initiators of the book village campaign, will also attend the World Book Town Symposium, one of the highlights of the festival.

The Paju Book Awards will be presenting their first awards this year. The ceremony is expected to improve Asia’s publishing capacity and contribute to strengthening ties among publishing cultures across borders. The award ceremony will be held on September 17, and the winner’s seminar will take place the next day.

Part of the event will be broadcast live on radio. Popular writers will come together with fans at the publishing headquarters for an open communication session titled ‘Jisik Nanjang.’ There will be an event to commemorate the 250^th anniversary of historic scholar Dasan Jeong Yak-yong’s birth on “A Day of Dasan.” A special concert celebrating “A Day of So-wol” and book discount events at the Book Market, cofounded by 100 publishers and bookstores from 10 countries in and out of Korea, will also form part of the festivities. The Cheongju Early Printing Museum and PoChin Chai are also good places to visit during the event. You can even print your own book.

An official affiliated with the local government’s cultural projects said, “The event has been chosen as one of Gyeonggi Province’s top ten festivals. That’s an impressive achievement considering 2011 was its first year. The local government will support Paju Booksori until it becomes one of the largest festivals in Asia, and not just a celebration of knowledge.”
 
For further details of the festival’s schedule and seminars, please consult the official Paju Booksori 2012 website at http://pjbsori.cafe24.com/2012_eng/main/main.php.
 ◇ Paju Booksori 2012 promotional poster ⓒ G-News Plus
 
ⓒ G-News Plus News | Noh Gyeong-hui | khrohh@kg21.net
 
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