Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - A new foreign-language bookstore has been opened in Hanoi, opening the door to other literatures in the world for any true bookworm.
Born with the mission of bringing to readers quality and fresh literary works from all over the world, the InBook store offers thousands of foreign-language books – fiction, self-help, literature, educational and more.
InBook has been originated from the small bookstore Blue Horizon established in 2017 and located within the premises of the The Gioi (World) Publishing House. Over time, through a passion for books and persistent efforts, the bookstore has earned the trust and enthusiastic support of readers.
Currently, at the time of positioning the brand as a foreign-language bookstore, InBook already has a community of over 10,000 readers, alongside a collection of 7,000 book titles in English and French, which were imported directly.
According to Nguyen Huong Lan, InBook’s founder, its inauguration not only marks a new stage of development for the bookstore, but also serves as evidence for the strong increase in the demand for reading books in English and French within the Vietnamese reader community.
“Our book catalog will be continuously updated and expanded to bring a wide range of new and exciting foreign language books of all genres for readers to explore,” Lan said.
From the very beginning, the bookshop established partnerships with foreign publishers.
“This is not an easy task, as a small bookstore from a distant Asian country has to go through many paperwork and verification processes to be able to import books from international publishing groups,” Lan said.
To date, after many years of developing business relationships, Green Horizon Company has become a reputable partner of more than 40 leading publishers around the world, including major names such as HarperCollins, Hachette, Penguin, Didier, Usborne, Nathan, and Gallimard.
The company also is a strategic partner of MM Publication (Europe), being the exclusive representative and distributor of all English Language Teaching, Maths & Science, Computing ICT (Information and Communication Technology) book titles in the Vietnamese market.
To stay up-to-date on the international book market and catch the latest trends, Blue Horizon has actively participated in major international book fairs such as the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Salon du Livre de Paris. The company also is a member of the International Association of French-Language Bookstores, which is sponsored by the French Ministry of Culture.
In next three years, the InBook bookstore has a plan to expand their business to become a publisher and literary agent to support emerging Vietnamese writers.
Lan said that at the annual international book fairs, publishers are always actively searching for new authors and faces, especially, in recent years, a number of Vietnamese-origin authors living abroad have achieved great success with their works. “Our aim is to bring Vietnamese literary works that reflect the spirit of the times to the international market,” he added.
“During our working with foreign publishers and participating in international book fairs, we have recognised the ever-present potential for cultural development. If given the right level of attention and promotion, these potentials can become opportunities to introduce Vietnamese authors to the international market,” she said.
To celebrate its inauguration, during August, any bookworm visiting InBook will be offered a 10% discount on the list price of all books.
InBook is located on the 7th Floor, Luxury Office Building, 93 Thuy Khue street, Hanoi./.
Creating spaces to foster a culture of reading
Over the years, the opening of book streets, upgrades to libraries, the holding of book fairs, and the introduction of public bookshelves have created spaces around Vietnam to spread a culture of reading. These have become destinations for book lovers and promoted a reading habit among the public.
