Paju Bookcity

I’m in South Korea for the Paju Bookcity Forum to speak about digital business models for publishing.

Paju Bookcity is a new industrial precinct built entirely around books and publishing. That, of course, is a dry factual statement. Instead I should have hooked you into my tale by saying that Paju Bookcity is a magical kingdom, created by a benevolent and wise leader who also happens to be a bookseller and librarian, where publishers toil daily with joy and care, and where books are the only true currency. I might also have begun by saying that Paju Bookcity is a festival of architecture and contemporary design where dozens of buildings showcase the absolute best that can be achieved by balancing ecological sustainability with beauty and function.

All three sentences are equally true.

Sadly, I’m forced to add a Flickr image here because I’m having trouble with my SD card and can’t upload the dozens of pictures I’ve taken of the precinct. Instead, if you can’t imagine it, you’ll have visit and see for yourself. It’s truly remarkable.