So many books, so little time

If the number of book events can be an effective indicator of Thai people's interest in reading, we might have more evidence to debunk the fallacious mantra "Thais only reads eight lines a year". From Friday to Sunday, the Bangkok Book Festival 2016 (BBF) is coming back for its second edition at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre -- and don't confuse this literary weekend with the book fairs at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, in which the audience comes to hunt discounted books.

The BBF, hosted by the independent bookshop Bookmoby, aims at different objectives: to fulfil what the book-selling fairs lack, and this year's event spans from discussions to exhibitions to book mementos, with topics ranging from Shakespeare to contemporary graphic novels, from Latin American literature to a reassessment of Czech author Milan Kundera.

"Basically, we wanted to open a space where publishers and readers can meet," said Rangsima Tunsakul, the BBF's and Bookmoby's managing director. "It will spark new ideas and inspirations."

To highlight that this is about reading books more than selling books, the theme for this year is "Literary Weekend".

"It was actually initiated from our own interest. We're all into literature," said Rangsima, who is also an editor in chief of Library House Publishing. "I think if we have an event around what we're really into, we'll be able to cover the issues thoroughly."

At the Bangkok Book Festival last year. photos courtesy of bookmoby

This year's festival is content-oriented while in its first year, it focused on the process of publishing and the gathering of independent bookshops.

After last year's positive feedback, the organisers saw the potential to run the festival again.

"The festival directly targets the book lover. But for those who think literature is too tedious and confusing, the event could be a good chance for them to get a glimpse into the world of literature," Rangsima said.

One of the highlights is a session marking the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare. Chulalongkorn University's Noppamas Waewhong, a Thai expert on Shakespeare who has translated his plays into Thai, will give a talk and share her perspective on the interpretation of the author's compositions.

The literary weekend theme comes at the right moment as there are more small publishing houses pushing for the translation of world literature into the local market. Last year, Chaichai Books published the Thai version of David Eagleman's Sum: Forty Tales From The Afterlives, while Library House regularly brings out translated works of classic literature, such F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Carson McCullers' The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter, Captains Of The Sands by Brazilian modernist Jorge Amado, and Francois Mauriac's Génitrix, a 1929 French novel about motherly obsession, which is also a seminar topic.

"The curve for literary translation in the country rose and fell alternately for decades," Rangsima said. "However, in the last three or four years it has been going up, and it seems like there will be rise even further. Chances are we'll be seeing more variety of literature in the market. For instance, this year, the newly opened JLit publishing which focuses on Japanese classic literature was founded. Their first release is No Longer Human written by an excellent Japanese author Osamu Dazai, and it will be launched in the event."

Literary translation always comes with copyright issues. Books and Borderlessness, a session focusing on copyright, will serve people working in the publishing industry, both for those who want to translate international works into Thai and for Thai authors who want to bring their work to the international audience. Up until the 1990s, Thai translators simply ignored copyright standards and translated anything they wanted. But in order to join the international publishing scene, Thai publishers have in the past decade realised the importance of playing by the rules.

"We talked to local publishing houses to see if they are interested in this topic and if they have any inquiries that can be discussed during the session," said Rangsima. "The copyright issues are considered one of the crucial links in the book business, and there are still many concerns in this regard."

Rangsima said the Thai literature scene is quiet this year, but the event will devote space and time to local writers, both established and new. Niwat Puttaprasart will present his latest Kai Wipak Kong Kwam Sao (The Rhythm Of Sadness) together with a talk on his experience as a writer and editor. Meanwhile writers such as Jirat Prasertsup, Jiraporn Wiwa and Kanatorn Khaosanit will represent the voice of Thai contemporary fiction and their relevance to contemporary society.

The festival also features an exhibition, as literature isn't exclusive to written text but incorporates more modern forms of storytelling. The exhibition showcases 70 graphic novel illustrations by German artist Jakob Hinrichs who will be attending the festival.

The centrepiece of Hinrichs' Dream Story (Traumnovelle) exhibition is a graphic novel adapted from Austrian author Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 novel, a dark psychological work about a husband whose wife confesses her sexual fantasy to him. Hinrichs' work is an interpretation from the source text to pictures through his style of geometrical drawing and colourful painting.

"Graphic novels are considered a proper choice for the exhibition under the literary weekend theme as it's a way to present literature in a contemporary style," explained Prabda Yoon, the BFF's creative director. "Once literature is presented in a form of graphic, it's likely to communicate with people easier. Graphic novels are a new form of literature, a new branch of art."

Hinrichs also will host a session on graphic novels with Thai illustrator Songsin Tiewsomboon as well as a separate workshop.

No book festival in 2016 could be complete without a question on print vs digital. Prabda's festival responds to the question as to how the emerging technology has shaken the literature market.

"Of course, there could be a higher competition as there are more outlets and more things to read out there. But the benefit is that readers will have a better chance to access literature if authors can adapt themselves to the new media wisely, because the core of literature is its content, not the platform."

It is the same with electrical devices like e-books that once sent scepticism through the book circle. Prabda doesn't see this as a concerning problem.

"To choose which device one is reading is personal preference. Each device has a different quality. Printed books still have their own space. But of course, as technology has developed, sooner or later content will have to be on a digital platform as well."

"Once we were very aware of this issue, whether the e-book would dominate the book market," added Rangsima. "But now there is hardly any worry about it since we know that printed books can and have survived."

Likewise with literature in the age of Facebook feeds and bite-sized content online.

"I believe people still read," said Rangsima. "But when it comes down to what kind of things they read, this is hard to identify. I'm not sure about literature. But as I'm both in the book-selling and publishing business, I work on a basis of believing that there are people reading them."