ChristianTrade Association International is organizing a two-day translation rights show in Kiev, Ukraine. The event, 7 – 8 October, will take place just before the Frankfurt International Book Fair and immediately after training organized by Literature in New Kontexts (LINKS) for the Ukrainian Christian Publishers Association (UCPA). The event will be held at the Ukrainian Christian Life Center.

“We are excited about the opportunity this year’s Marketsquare Europe presents for rights business, training, and encouragement in our work to multiply the impact of Christian literature around the world,” says Kim Pettit, executive director for ChristianTrade.

Participant information

ChristianTrade is pleased to announce that scholarships are available to cover food, lodging and some travel costs for Eastern European publishers outside Ukraine to attend this event. Scholarships will be assigned with exhibitor input, on a first-come, first-served basis. Download a scholarship request form here.

European Christian Book of the Year

Markestsquare Europe will include the fifth annual European Christian Book of the Year contest, highlighting excellence in original Christian titles by European publishers. Marketsquare Europe delegates vote for the titles during the convention. Download the rules here, and register for the content at our secure website, www.ctainternational.com.

Schedule 

LINKS (Literature in New Kontexts), ChristianTrade Association International, and the Ukrainian Christian Publishers Association are collaborating to offer publisher training, will cover topics ranging from financial planning to marketing to copyrights. Training will take place all day October 5th and 6th, with sessions on the morning of the 7th and 8th as well. Marketsquare Europe begins October 7th, and ends on October 8th. 

Exhibitor information

To participate as an exhibitor, please contact Kim Pettit (+719-432-8428 or kpettit@christiantrade.com) or download the exhibitor form here.

Fifty Christian publishers and booksellers did business at Marketsquare Europe, held 1 to 2 October 2010, near Oradea, Romania. A dozen countries were represented at the event: Belarus, Finland, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

"Marketsquare Europe 2010 was the first international translation rights fair for Christian books ever held here," says publisher Vasile Gabrian of Editura Casa Cartii, whose help was invaluable to ChristianTrade Association International in organizing the event.

"Marketsquare Europe 2010 provided a timely opportunity for the analysis of the development of the Christian book market in Romania," adds Gabrian. "The event challenged us to continue strengthening our publications."

This was the fourth Marketsquare Europe event organized by ChristianTrade Association International. It also marked the third European Christian Book of the Year contest. First place was won by the book Redeeming Our Memory (Rascumpararea memoriei) by Romanian pastor Vasilica Croitor, author and founder of Succeed Publishing. Poland's Vocatio Publishing's Character Builders series came in second.

The following exhibitors were represented at Marketsquare Europe: Abingdon Press, AMG Publishers, Authentic & Paternoster UK, B&H Publishing Group, Biblica US, Crusade for World Revival, Destiny Image, Edict House, Faith Alive, Gospel Publishing Mission, Hermon Forlag, Immanuel Publishing House, Integrity Media Europe, InterVarsity Press USA, Kindred Press, Kingstone Media Group, Life Publishers International and Life Romania, LINKS, Mundo Cristao, New Growth Press, New Hope, No Greater Joy, Reaching Out Network Inc., Riggins Rights International, Rose Publishing, St. Michel Print, Strang Communications, Summerside Press, Terra Nova International Ltd., Tyndale House, Upper Room Books, Vocatio Publishing, Warner Press Kids, Wesleyan Publishing House and World Wide Printing.

Svein Andersen, of Hermon Forlag in Norway, provided training on both days of the conference and also addressed participants at the Celebration Dinner held September, 2010. Cindy Riggins of Riggins Rights International in the U.S. taught a session on negotiating rights, and Els de Jong-Van Gurp, director of BCB in the Netherlands, encouraged Romanians to cooperate to build the Christian trade in their country.

De Jong-Van Gurp and Marc Schaeffer, also of BCB, met with Olena Tsertii, director of the Ukrainian Christian Publishers Association, as well as Andrey Kravchenko (Ezdra Publishers), Sergiy Mihaylyk (Baruch Publishing House), and others to discuss how their respective trade associations benefit their members. (Pictured: Kravchenko, DeJong-Van Gurp, Tsertii, and Gerbish.)

“The workshops were very interesting and useful,” says Nadiyka Gerbіsh of Ezdra Publishing in the Ukraine, “but I waited for the afternoon business meetings…When you represent the chief editor, then suddenly… questions and ideas begin to pour like hail.” Gerbish looks forward to reading and evaluating books for translation. “We are interested in reaching readers in the secular market,” she adds, “so I asked about books of interest to a wider audience.”

“Our exhibitors found the show was well worth their time,” says Kim Pettit, chief operating officer for ChristianTrade. “The feedback I received was quite positive, and we are already looking at how to proceed next year.”

ChristianTrade’s next event is Marketsquare International, in Atlanta, taking place January 11-13, 2011, just before the AmericasMart Gift Show. (For details, please visit www.ChristianTrade.com.)

"Marketsquare Europe was a blessing and inspiration for us, and provided useful meetings with people and publishers,” says  Pastor Károly Géczi of Immanuel Publishing in Budapest, Hungary. “There are [books] which I would like to see even by this Christmas season, but of course I know we need to settle down and see what the Lord wants.”

Alin Cristea, a freelance author and the editor of the Romanian e-magazine Confesionala, put together YouTube videos of the event. You can check them out here and here.