BELGRADE, April 26 (Xinhua) — Books on Chinese civilization and history have interested a growing Serbian readership in recent years, and publications on AI are poised to be a new draw given China’s rapid technological advances, a Serbian publishing industry insider has said.
In an interview with Xinhua, Neva Saravija, executive director of the Serbian publisher Cigoja Stampa, said publications centered on China’s advances in AI and digital technology as an area with tremendous growth potential, pointing to a steadily growing interest in Serbia and across Europe.
Publications on these subjects remain largely untapped in Serbia and relatively scarce throughout the continent. “We see this as a market of immense, largely unrealized potential — one that is expected to become a major growth driver in the years ahead,” she said.
Saravija noted that Serbia-China cooperation in the publishing sector dates back decades. China-related publications currently available in the Serbian market focus primarily on cultural heritage, history, and civilization studies — works that offer local readers essential perspectives for developing a deeper understanding of China.
Academic and non-fiction works exploring the history of Chinese civilization, as well as comparative studies examining China’s position within broader world civilization, will continue to maintain steady demand, said the expert.
Serbia’s publishing sector will keep seeking and releasing such titles to foster a richer understanding of both Chinese literature and contemporary China, she added.
On the evolution of reading habits, Saravija observed that traditional printed books are increasingly being complemented by e-books and audiobooks.
“For the younger generation growing up in the digital age, digital reading has become an integral part of daily life — a convenient means of acquiring knowledge, seeking entertainment, and staying connected,” she said.
In her view, digital technology has opened up a wealth of opportunities for the publishing industry: not only by expanding access to books and enabling authors to reach a broader global audience, but also by enriching the reading experience through multimedia formats.
She believes that printed books will retain irreplaceable value for many readers, serving as both a symbol of authenticity and a tangible, tactile experience.
Striking the right balance between innovation and tradition, she said, remains one of the defining challenges facing the modern publishing industry. ■
