Message from the Chairperson

A warm welcome to the 16th edition of the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC)!

This year, we embark on a journey of Discovery to explore the tapestry of multicultural children's literature. Through the festival’s array of programmes, we hope to strengthen our children’s literature ecosystem by illuminating trends and challenges in a rapidly evolving industry, discussing the art and business of stories, and learning best practices from creatives and professionals from all over the world, who are united in their passion for storytelling and reading. From workshops that celebrate tactility to presentations that unearth the potential of books in cultivating resilience, AFCC 2025 offers a unique platform for creative learning and thoughtful exploration.

We are also honoured to celebrate South Korea as this year's Country of Focus, marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and South Korea. This collaboration brings luminaries in Korean children's literature – we are delighted to welcome Hans Christian Andersen Award winner Suzy Lee back to AFCC, amongst other talents such as Korea Picture Book Award winner Park Hyunmin and Hans Christian Andersen nominee Lee Geum-yi, to share with us the globally celebrated world of Korean kidlit.

Our commitment to fostering intercultural understanding is exemplified through the AFCC co-translation book project. This year marks our fifth edition of this initiative, which aims to bridge linguistic barriers and enrich the lives of children through cross-cultural appreciation.

Five picture books from each country will be translated and launched at AFCC, and subsequently distributed for free to non-profit and social organisations that run reading and literacy programmes for children in Singapore and South Korea.

On behalf of the Singapore Book Council, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the National Library Board for their unwavering support. I also express sincere appreciation to our esteemed Programme Committee members, partners, donors, supporters, and volunteers, whose dedication has been instrumental in the success and growth of AFCC.

As we explore these four exciting days together, I wish all participants a truly enriching and memorable time of discovery at AFCC 2025.

Claire Chiang
Chairperson
Singapore Book Council