Lire en Fete Part 1
Nov 14th, 2007 by Jinja
Hey, it’s mid day, and over at the French Cultural Centre Lire en Fete is on. The crowds have thinned a bit so I can get some pictures of the booths.
(This show originally happened in October 18, 19, and 20th. While the host was French, you could find books in Khmer and English as well. It’s rapidly shaping up as the yearly book event.)
I love Cambodian Book geeks. They get no acclaim but they keep struggling. And more people attend this show each year; despite what pundits and critics say, people are hungry for good stuff to read. Let’s take a look at who’s got stuff to share.
Click on the picture and in most cases I’ll have an address or contact info.
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| Domrei Sor Children’s books. A small collective of authors and writers who produce works in Khmer, English, French, Japanese. | Reyum publishes art and research, recent releases include a book on Wat paintings. Highly recommended: their Khmer ornaments book | ‘Read and Think’. These young folks were the sleeper hit of the show with their books on mathematics and intellectual puzzles. | ||
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| Our Books had a slideshow of their digital archive of Khmer comics, and a preview of their upcoming graphic novel. | Health Magazine – not an NGO outreach effort, but a for-profit lifestyle magazine! The magazine market is growing. | Cambokids – the name speaks for itself. Children’s literature. Yes, I know the photo’s off center. I’m running around trying to shoot the entire show in 5 minutes, OK? | ||
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| Khmer Civilization Association publishes a variety of materials. In it for the duration. | New faces this time, the French Cultural Centre. | Nou Hach Literary Journal and the Sower’s Association shared adjoining booths. The Journal has yearly awards for literature, the Association publishes poetry. | ||
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| The Khmer Writers Association is one of the oldest literary institutions in Cambodia, operating out of their headquarters at Wat Botum. | Federation for the Development of the Book Sector in Cambodia has copies of their newsletter and ‘Books in Print Cambodia’. (Remember, this was lunchtime.) | Editions Funan had a diverse selection including this book on Phnong language. Way to go! | ||
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| Tam Tam, one of the longest-running children’s magazines in Cambodia. (The other is Mom and Mab.) | Even during lunchtime, Angkor Thom bookshop is doing a brisk business. | Room To Read not only publishes books for young people, but also maintains regional libraries. An impressive effort, and they are continuing to grow. | ||
Tomorrow: more of the tribe.
Tags:literature,books,culture,cambodia,khmer
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