The ninth China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF) has been postponed for the third time due to coronavirus, The Bookseller reports.
According to the outfit, the fair, originally meant to take place in November 2021, it was first pushed back to run from 20th–22nd March this year, then postponed again for 22nd–24th July. It has now been rescheduled to run from 18th–20th November, meaning it has skipped a year. It will be held at its usual venue, the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre.
Organisers said: “In spite of our efforts to bring the [fair] back to you in the shortest possible time, the recent developments of the epidemic in Shanghai are forcing us to postpone the ninth edition of the fair, [which is] therefore getting back to its regular seasonal timeframe.”
Shanghai’s 25 million residents had been under a strict two-month lockdown until the start of June. Lockdown restrictions across China were scheduled to relax recently, however there are reports plans are being “walked back” amid fears of further outbreaks.
The book fair organisers said the health and safety of exhibitors and visitors was their priority and apologised for the “inconvenience this new development may bring you”.
“We are continuing the work with determination on making the upcoming CCBF a great occasion for the global children’s publishing community to connect with the Chinese market,” they said.
“Until we can all be reunited in person in Shanghai, the fair has been adapted to the current context and is ready to offer exhibiting opportunities to publishers from China and beyond. Together, we can make the children’s book publishing industry stronger and more vivid than ever.”
