KPIPA to showcase Korean children’s books at Shanghai fair

KPIPA will run the Korea Rights Center at the 2026 China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair from Nov. 13-15 to help Korean publishers sell international rights across Asia. The booth will feature 10 publishers in person, 100 consigned titles from 40 more publishers and rights meetings with overseas buyers.

Why it matters: - KPIPA is using the Shanghai fair to push Korean children’s books into wider Asian rights markets. - The effort is designed to turn international interest in Korean titles into licensing deals for publishers. - The program extends KPIPA’s rights-selling support beyond London, Bologna and Frankfurt.

What happened: - The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea will operate the Korea Rights Center at the 2026 China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair. - The fair runs Friday, Nov. 13, through Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai. - KPIPA will operate the 90-square-meter center at Booth 3B02 in the Copyright Zone of Hall 1. - Ten Korean publishers will exhibit in person. - Another 100 titles from 40 publishers will be on display through consignment.

The details: - The center will feature picture books and titles focused on the environment and ecology, science and general knowledge, and children’s emotions and relationships. - Featured titles include If You Want to Eat a Red Apple, written by Jin Joo and photographed by Lee Ga-hee, from Finger Publishing. - If You Want to Eat a Red Apple won the 2025 BolognaRagazzi Award in the Opera Prima category. - Star Papa by Han Dam-hee, from Book Gorae, is the picture book behind the winning entry in the Crossmedia Projects category at the 2025 BolognaRagazzi CrossMedia Awards. - The center will also highlight The Heart Bowl by Jeon Bora, from Tokkiseom, which received a 2026 BolognaRagazzi Special Mention in Opera Prima. - Moving Away by Lee Ji-yeon, from Laughing Peanut Children’s Foundation, received a 2023 BolognaRagazzi Special Mention in Fiction. - The broader selection reflects young readers’ interests in Korea and changes in Korean society. - The fair is focused on publishing for children and young adults, with exhibits spanning picture books, nonfiction, educational titles, literature and other content for young readers. - CCBF sits alongside London and Frankfurt as a major publishing fair, while also serving as a forum for publishing professionals from across Asia and around the world.

Between the lines: - KPIPA is pairing award-winning titles with a rights-selling structure built for direct business meetings. - The setup suggests a push to position Korean children’s publishing as both culturally specific and commercially exportable. - The shared meeting space for Korean publishers outside the official exhibitor group widens access beyond the booth’s in-person lineup.

What’s next: - Rights meetings will be arranged through the fair’s advance matchmaking program and directly by exhibitors. - The organizers will use submitted information on preferred discussion areas and featured titles to match Korean publishers with international buyers. - Exhibitors can also book meetings with existing contacts and new prospects. - KPIPA will use the fair to connect Korean children’s publishers with rights buyers in China and other Asian markets.

The bottom line: - KPIPA is betting that high-profile titles, targeted matchmaking and a dedicated rights center can convert global interest in Korean children’s books into sales in Asia.