A Day of Books

International publishing and education companies, book outlets, printing houses, 200 exhibitors from around the world, and - most importantly - books.

What is it about browsing through shelves, counters, and stacks of books that makes many of us lose track of time and become lost in a world of ideas, stories, faraway places, and interesting people? Ahhh, books.

It’s hard to describe this fascination we have with the written word, but for most of us it started when we were children. We remember our parents reading to us. We remember them grabbing the newspaper, a magazine, or book and telling us it was “quiet time." And we remember looking curiously at the novels and works of non-fiction piled precariously on their bedside tables. Books were part of their lives. And now they’re part of ours.

President Moon Mania

Yesterday, I spent the day surrounded by books. I attended the Seoul International Book Fair, and along with thousands of other bibliophiles, wandered through acres of stalls looking for bargains, undiscovered gems, and the latest “must have” bestseller. It was wonderful.

I love the look, feel, and smell of books. And if the latest trend in printed book sales is any indication, so do millions of others. With a recent increase of hard and paperback book purchases and a rebirth of locally owned bookstores, the “Gutenberg Revolution” is alive and well. Happy days are here again!

As I roamed COEX - Seoul’s massive convention and exhibition center - immersed in a bookish revelry, I met students, US Embassy staff, publishers, and many others who wanted to share their passion for literature, poetry, history, education, and stories.

By the end of the day, I had a bag full of free handouts, brochures, and magazines.

And I had purchased a book. It doesn’t get much better than that.