Bringing German readers closer to China

FRANKFURT — For some German readers, discovering China begins with turning a page.

At the 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair that concluded on Oct 11, Axel, a bookseller from Hannover, stopped at the Chinese pavilion when a poster of Chinese science fiction writer Liu Cixin caught his eye. When he first read Liu's The Dark Forest, he could barely sleep that night, he recalled.

"I was completely captivated by that universe," Axel said. Since then, he has kept Liu's trilogy on the shelves of his small bookstore, and his fascination with the works has also prompted him to seek out more Chinese science fiction writers.

For German translator and Sinologist Karin Betz, Chinese science fiction is one field that has attracted particularly strong interest in Germany in recent years. Betz translated the latter two volumes of Liu Cixin's Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy and has long followed and translated Chinese science fiction.

She believes one significant reason for its appeal is the writing quality. Liu, she said, writes in the tradition of classic hard science fiction while bringing new perspectives on science and distinct Chinese elements to the genre.

During the book fair, Betz spoke about her more than four decades of work with Chinese literature. From wuxia — Chinese martial arts fiction centered on ideals such as loyalty, honor and justice — and realist fiction to contemporary science fiction and stories of modern life, she said the growing range of themes and styles gives German readers a broader view of Chinese literature.

"Literature and art are among the best ambassadors for a country," she said. "By crossing linguistic boundaries, literary works can open up new possibilities for understanding and dialogue between societies."

Mohamad El Khatib, CEO of the Lebanese publishing company Digital Future, said his company brought in many books from Chinese publishers, focusing on children's books and literature.

"I find that Chinese books are becoming more advanced compared with the last few years. I believe we can find a lot of titles that can become bestsellers in the global market, which is what made me come to see what new things they have and what new works they are creating," he said.

Christina Werum-Wang, German director of the Confucius Institute in Frankfurt, has extensive experience in teaching Chinese in Germany.

German readers used to be more interested in classical philosophy and literary classics when they thought about Chinese books. More people are now becoming curious about and paying attention to works that reflect China's social development, technological innovation and contemporary life, Werum-Wang observes.

"At the Confucius Institute in Frankfurt, German students and readers often ask me: If we want to understand China, where should we start? I always tell them: Start by reading books."

XINHUA