POP UP in Japan and Korea
Pop Up in Japan and Korea
Explore the Asian World of Bibliophily
As the sun goes on 23 April 2016 – across the world, for 24 hours, on 5 continents, in 16 countries, 30 cities and various languages bringing the books to the people at most busy and sometimes unexpected places: this is ILAB on UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day!
This year the antiquarian booksellers in Asia will play a decisive role in the worldwide celebrations to promote the book and to support literacy. While the ILAB Pop Up Fairs in Sydney and Perth will be in full swing, the Asian antiquarian booksellers will prepare to join their colleagues in the great chain of events. For the first time ever, the rare book dealers of the Republic of Korea will be a part of it.
THE KOREAN BOOKSELLERS will organize Pop Up Fairs in prominent places all over the country, beginning in the capital Seoul, handing the torch over to the book dealers in the second biggest Korean city Pusan and further on to Daegu, the Korean city of books owing the most antiquarian bookshops throughout the country. Meet the booksellers in Seoul, Pusan and Daegu, and explore the fascinating world of bibliophily with books, manuscripts and works on paper which are rarely seen on the international book market!
THE BOOKSELLERS IN JAPAN contribute in several ways to the worldwide celebrations on 23 April 2016. At their general meeting on 14 April, shortly before UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day, the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of Japan and their President are going to officially launch the ILAB Pop Up Celebrations in Japan. From Tokyo to Kyoto, Sapporo, Osaka and Kumamoto the Japanese dealers will decorate special Pop Up Book Fair Windows in their shops on 23 April. On display will be a fine selection of rare books and Empty Bookcase Posters to raise money for the UNESCO literacy projects in South Sudan. ABAJ Secretary Naoyuki Seki of Maruzen-Yushodo Co. will show around students, members of the reading circle of the Yokohama National University and other interested people in Jimbocho, the central Tokyo bookish area. He will lead them to the Jimbocho booksellers and further on to the World Antiquarian Book Plaza.
Is there a place in the world where you can browse the shelves filled with modern firsts from the United States, incunabula from Europe, woodcut books from Asia, and children’s books, first editions, illustrated books, precious bindings or rare travel accounts from Australia, the United Kingdom, the Americas, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Austria and the Netherlands? Yes, there is such a place. The World Antiquarian Book Plaza is located in Tokyo’s city centre, only five minutes away from the central station and the famous Ginza. The elegant rooms of this very special bookshop on the third floor of Maruzen is open to visitors 364 days a year. It is the ultimate destination for bibliophiles – an amazing venture which combines Western and Asian arts, culture and history through the cooperation of antiquarian booksellers from all parts of the world. This bookish paradise will be the venue for an ILAB Pop Up Book Fair on UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day. Japanese rare book dealers will welcome all who are interested in books, prints and manuscripts all over the day to browse the real bookshelves and to fill a symbolic “empty bookcase” with symbolic books by donating money for the UNESCO’s Forest Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI).
Remember: A donation of 3 US $ will send one book to a child in South Sudan, 15 US $ purchase a set of 12 school books for a classroom, and 500 US $ provide 45 school book collections for a rural community in Africa. Each symbolic book bought in Japan or Korea and across the world on UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day will be turned into real books for schools in South Sudan!
JOIN US ...
ORGANIZE IT ...
ILAB POP UP BOOK FAIRS ...
ACROSS THE WORLD ...
ON UNESCO WORLD BOOK & COPYRIGHT DAY ...
23 APRIL 2016!
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THE INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE OF ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS (ILAB) is the umbrella organization of the professional rare book trade uniting 22 national associations and around 2000 rare book dealers in 34 countries worldwide.
FOR MORE INFORMATION visit ilabpopupbookfairs.blogspot.de and www.unesco.org/new/en/wbcd.
CONTACTS: Sally Burdon - Sally@AsiaBookroom.com | Barbara van Benthem - editor@ilab.org
April 2016 – For immediate release. Pictures: ILAB, UNESCO, AbeBooks, the Organizers
