Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei Darussalam recently participated in the Indonesia Book Fair, from Nov 14 to 18, under the pavilion of Asean Book Publishers Association (ABPA) of which the Sultanate is a member in the bid to promote local publications and writers to the region, at Jakarta Convention Centre in Indonesia.
Leading the participants was Hjh Siti Zaleha Hj Kaprawi, DBP Head of Public Relations and Marketing.
Apart from Brunei, the ABPA pavilion also houses selected publishers from other member countries from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines.
According to Hjh Siti Zaleha, this year the annual book fair promoted books about Sulawesi`s new province, Gorontalo. A planned performance called "Gorontalo: the Hidden Paradise" was also held, showcasing the province`s art and cultural aspects at the opening of the book fair last week.
"It was a good` concept with a book fair being held to promote tourism. Gorontalo was chosen because it has qualified education and tourism potency that needs promotion," she said.
As many as 270 stands were set up at the event by 120 participants, including publishers and cultural centres, and were organised by Indonesian Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and facilitated by PT Dyandra Promosindo.
The IBPA reported that it currently has 900 members under its umbrella. IBPA represents Indonesia at ABPA of which Brunei is a member, said Hjh Siti Zaleha.
"IBPA also said there has been a notable increase in reading in Indonesia, including popular fiction and literature.
"The growing interest was attributed to the growing number of book fairs held by other organisations and publishing companies in Indonesia.
"The fairs have helped stimulate the public`s knowledge of new books, authors and publishers," she said.
It is important for even small printers, publishers and bookshops to participate in such events to help create awareness on their existence and their services, publications and products, she added.
Source: www.brudirect.com (22 November 2007)
