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Bloomsbury UK and Walker Books are among the 20 most influential international children's publishers in China, according to data released at the Shanghai Children’s Book Fair (CCBF).
According to book data company Bookdao, which compiled the ranking, Scholastic USA is the most influential foreign publisher, followed by Penguin Random House USA in second position and Casterman, the Belgian publisher of Tintin, in third. Bloomsbury UK was the highest ranking UK-based publisher, coming in at fourth position, and Walker Books UK came in at number 19.
Ling Jia, editor-in-chief at book Bookdao, which compiled the ranking, said she put together the list taking into account sales in China, recommendations and review frequency, and how often Chinese publishers had imported the copyright.
“Over the past few years the Chinese book industry has connected to the international world more and more,” she said, adding that the list will be hugely influential in China because Bookdao recommends books for libraries.
Like children all over the world, Chinese readers want to feel connected to the world of a book and lose themselves in an adventure, she said, citing Scholastic’s horror series Goosebumps as an example. Brands are increasingly important and Tintin’s popularity in TV and toys, as well as books, is why Casterman is so high on the list.
This is the first year that Bookdao has compiled a list of the top 20 most influential international children’s publishers but the company hopes to make it an annual event.
After Scholastic USA, Random House USA, Casterman and Bloomsbury, the other publishers listed are Egmont (Denmark), Bonnier (Sweden), Editis (France), Thienemann (Germany), Hachette Book Group (France), HarperCollins (US), Groupe Gallimard (France), Macmillan (US), Groupe Dargaud (France), Piemme (Italy), Poplar (Japan), Kondansha (Japan), Mirae-N (South Korea), Fukuinkan (Japan), Walker Books (UK) and Oetinger (Germany).