Boys’ Love novels dominate Book Expo Thailand 2024
Novels portraying same-gender relationships prove the most popular buys at this year’s edition of the book fair
The 29th Book Expo Thailand 2024 opened last Thursday (October 10) to a sizeable crowd and will continue until October 20, offering bookworms 10 days of literary delight.
This year’s fair adopts the theme “Reading into the Afterlife” and features the legendary ghost "Krasue" as the symbol of reading, with its glowing internal light representing the ability to read books. Knowledge is compared to this guiding light, illuminating paths for people.
The fair saw a bustling crowd over the weekend, with people packing the subway to reach the venue. Once inside the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, groups of young readers could be seen shopping for books. Every aisle at the fair, filled with publishing houses and bookstores, was crowded. Interestingly, many of the visitors were young, partly because of the mid-term school holiday, with all eager to snap up works by their favourite authors.
Suwit Rungwatanapaiboon, president of the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (PUBAT), told the media that the book industry grew by 5-10% in the first nine months of the year. While the number may seem small, it doesn't yet include online sales.
The most popular genres among readers are:
Novels – leading at 45%
Manga and Japanese teen light novels – 27%
Self-help and healing books – 17%
Exam preparation guides – 9%
General books – 2%
In the novels category, BL (Boys’ Love) novels featuring same-gender relationships, particularly male-male love stories,are enjoying a strong presence. Each booth from various publishers offers a wide range of BL novels, with elaborate displays and attractive protagonists that draw readers in. Both Thai and international fans can't resist taking photos at the beautifully decorated booths.
The fair also sees a strong presence of bespectacled young male readers, similar to previous years. These fans flock to booths featuring manga and light novels, not only to buy books but also to support non-book items like figures and other premium goods.
The National Book Fair is spread over 20,000 square metres and boasts more than 2 million books from 286 publishers across 855 booths, along with more than 100 activities for visitors to enjoy.
The association expects around 1.6 million attendees this year, up from 1.3 million previously, with sales expected to reach 460-480 million baht, surpassing last year’s 400 million baht. The overall book industry in 2024 is projected to be valued at 16 billion baht.
