A new chapter for publishing

The Beijing International Book Fair has grown into a flagship publishing event in the world. [Photo by Liu Xianguo/China Daily]

It was also an opportunity for the 54-year-old American to meet up with some of her China-based staff for the first time.

The China office, which was set up as a representative office in 2005, now reports directly to the head office at Milton Park, Oxfordshire, and no longer to the Singapore Asia head office.

"That was an important reorganization. There is now a China-specific focus, as well as an Asia focus. My primary objective in coming here was really not to focus on participating in the book fair but to engage with my colleagues who represent us here on the ground and, equally important, to get to know some of the stakeholders."

She says China is a very important market for Taylor & Francis, the UK publisher which was founded in 1852 and is now part of Informa, the multinational events and media group. Its best-known imprint is Routledge.

"It is extraordinarily important. This is a growing hub of innovation, knowledge, wisdom and opportunity. And we are underserved in this market today. We have to embrace all the potential that exists here," she says.

Callanan is particularly keen to forge greater commercial links and partnerships in what is not only the largest publishing market in the world, after the United States, but also where publishing began with the first printed book during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

"We are looking at all the potential partnerships with the publishing community, aggregators, booksellers and other entities," she says.