New Star Press celebrates 20 years of 'Midnight Library' at London Book Fair

At the 2026 London Book Fair, the stand of China International Communications Group (CICG)—the nation's premier international communications organization—hosted a landmark event titled "Stories Without Limits: A 20-Year Journey of Midnight Library". Held on March 10, the celebration held by New Star Press officially launched the 20th anniversary of "Midnight Library", China's leading imprint for mystery and detective fiction, marking a significant step in sharing Chinese genre literature with a global audience.

Distinguished representatives from the global publishing and media sectors attended the event, including Lucy Vanderbilt, Rights Director at HarperCollins; Wang Huan, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of New Star Press; Akane Ando, Manager of the International Cooperation Department at Kodansha; Caroline Lamche, Overseas Licensing Consultant at Ubisoft; Marie Prudhomme, Foreign Rights Manager at Presses de la Cité; Bettina Nibbe, Founder of Nibbe Literary Agency; and Dong Zheng, Chairman of Zipa International Media. Together, they witnessed the remarkable evolution of Chinese mystery literature from introducing global classics to taking original works to the world stage.

Two decades of dedication: From introducing classics to fostering cultural exchange

Since its establishment in 2005, "Midnight Library" has traversed a magnificent 20-year journey. In her opening remarks, Wang Huan shared an impressive milestone: over the past two decades, "Midnight Library" has translated and published more than 830 outstanding works by over 100 world-class mystery writers, serving as a crucial window for Chinese readers to engage with global mystery literature and culture.

Reflecting on the history of Sino-British publishing exchanges, Wang particularly highlighted the enduring friendship with HarperCollins. Since signing a landmark licensing agreement for Agatha Christie's works in 2013, New Star Press has successfully published 84 volumes of The Complete Works of Agatha Christie in China.

Lucy Vanderbilt noted that the collaboration has long transcended pure rights trading, evolving into a professional partnership dedicated to safeguarding the cultural legacy of a great author. This profound Sino-British publishing exchange demonstrates how pragmatic, professional international cooperation can effectively deepen mutual understanding and elevate the international credibility and influence of China's publishing industry.