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Published on October 23, 2007

They say comics are receiving the most international attention.

The Frankfurt Book Fair, which hosted 7,448 exhibitors from 108 countries, ended on Sunday, leaving the Thai contingent satisfied that their participation was worthwhile.

"We had several roles to play," said Amarin editorial director Ongaj Jira-on, "including buying and selling our copyrights and services, observing the world's trends and maintaining relationships with our customers." Originally attending the fair to purchase copyrights from other publishers, Amarin was also promoting its own books in four different categories: house decoration and gardening, cooking and health-related books, Dhamma-related books and comics.

While Amarin has for years published Baan Lae Suan (House and Garden) and Cheevachit magazines along with a number of related books, Dhamma books and comics are the rising trend, Ongat said.

"It's our company's philosophy to share the great knowledge of Buddhism. That's why we've translated a lot of the works of prominent monks like Buddhadasa Bhikkhu," he said.

However, Amarin received a lot of international attention for its recently launched comic version of the sacred Hindu epic poem, "The Ramayana", with a relatively new interpretation. The copyright was successfully sold to an Italian company, and Ongaj attributed the sale to the thought that went into the book's production.

"We wanted to make this book for the international market, so we employed different approaches and designs. It is very unlikely for a book that is popular in Thailand to be a big hit abroad, because foreign readers have a different style of consumption. We must carefully reinvent each of the books."

Although printing services are not Amarin's main focus, they were nevertheless showcased at the Frankfurt fair, so that prospective customers could see the company's comprehensive capabilities.

Ongaj said the fair, which covered 172,000 square metres and presented nearly 400,000 products, was a good experience for the Thai companies.

"We learned so much from visitors and other publishers. We also saw world trends. For example, I now recognise that there is a greater emphasis on comics, and fantasy stories, following the hype of Harry Potter, are fading."

Meanwhile, leading Thai comic publisher Banluesarn was busy making contacts at the fair.

"We've attended the fair for the past three years, and the response has been very good. We sell copyrights each year," said Banluesarn deputy managing director Chotika Utsahajit.

The company's properties include the popular characters Pang Pond and Noo Hin.

"I believe we're competitive because we retain a local Thai style of comics, with local content, which is what foreign publishers are looking for," Chotika said, adding that the company's "small dimension" comics entitled "Ramayana", which began as an animated film, also sold well.

However, the most attractive book for Banluesarn at this year's Frankfurt Fair was "365 Days under His Majesty King Bhumibol's Compassion", a four-colour hard-cover chronology with comic illustrations of the Chakri Dynasty.

"That was truly a surprise," Chotika said. "We received so many requests for the English abstract that we were able to choose customers who would retain the book's high quality."

Publishers use the giant fair and its estimated 280,000 visitors to meet existing customers and make new contacts.

"The publishing business has a lot to do with relationships. It's crucial that we maintain contacts with existing customers, so that they know what we're up to, as well as talking to new customers," Ongaj said.

Sopaporn Kurz

The Nation

Frankfurt, Germany