Globalization of Children's Literature Exchanges and Talks on the Copyright Trade of Works Created by Erich Kästner and Cao Wenxuan Who Were the First German and Chinese Winners of the Hans Christian Andersen Award

As we all know, the Hans Christian Andersen Award marks the highest-level honor in the global children's literature field. Every winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award symbolizes a country's strength in children's literature. The publication of every work created by a winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award shows the pursuit and efforts of the publishing in every country. In the morning of August 19, German Leipzig Children's Book Publishing House and Chinese Tomorrow Publishing House had a talk on the publication of the works created by winners of the Hans Christian Andersen Award. The event was presided over by the senior copyright agent Mr. Cai Hongjun. Mr. Stephan Lehmann, president of German Leipzig Children's Book Publishing House, and Mr. Fu Dawei, president of Tomorrow Publishing House, started from their import and publication of the works created by winners of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, and carried out further discussion about the development and exchanges of Chinese and German children's literature.

Erich Kästner, a well-known German children's literature writer, was the father of children's literature in postwar Germany. In 1960, Erich Kästner was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award and was the first German winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award. In the world, when German children's literature is mentioned, Erich Kästner is always put on a par with the Brothers Grimm. Up to now, no German children's literature writer in the 20th century could win such a reputation in the world. As early as in 1997, Tomorrow Publishing House already started to hold talks on introducing works of Erich Kästner. The works of the world-class children's literature master were officially published in Chinese mainland on the one hundredth anniversary of his birth in 1999. 20 years later, the fourth version of the Collection of Erich Kästner was launched at the beginning of this year, with the initial printing volume of 450,000. Due to its unique charm, this collection has sold well since it was launched and nourished the mind of Chinese children from generation to generation.

In recent years, while learning from those of the children's book publishing worldwide, Tomorrow Publishing House has strengthened the publication of original children's literature and original picture books and published a large batch of high-quality and high-style children's books. In 2016, the Chinese children's literature writer Cao Wenxuan won the Hans Christian Andersen Award and became the first Chinese winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Over the years, Tomorrow Publishing House has maintained a good partnership with Mr. Cao Wenxuan, made elaborate plans to publish more than 20 books such as Works by Cao Wenxuan, Fenglin Ferry, Cao Wenxuan’s Storytelling and Pure and Beautiful Picture Books by Cao Wenxuan, and achieved good social and economic benefits. Among the works, due to its strong life awareness and profound human care, Pure and Beautiful Picture Books by Cao Wenxuan interested German Leipzig Children's Book Publishing House very much. After repeated talks, the two parties finally signed copyright import agreements on the German versions of Crazy Hen and Last Leopard in the Pure and Beautiful Picture Books by Cao Wenxuan at the Belt and Road Copyright Trade Fair. This means that original Chinese picture books have been read by German children and the works of the German and Chinese winners of the Hans Christian Andersen Award have realized cross-border exchanges by the platform Tomorrow Publishing House.

During the talk, as a senior copyright agent, the host Mr. Cai Hongjun, who has engaged in German-Chinese book copyright agent work for more than 20 years, talked about the status quo, development, exchanges and integration of Chinese children's book publishing and German children's book publishing, and discussed relevant issues with guests. From the angle of a publisher, Mr. Stephan Lehmann, president of German Leipzig Children's Book Publishing House, and Mr. Fu Dawei, president of Tomorrow Publishing House, exchanged their ideas about children reading and publication of children's books, especially their ideas about the works created by winners of the Hans Christian Andersen Award. At the end of the talk, the two parties said that the two publishing houses would carry out more kinds of cooperation in deeper and wider fields.