“Empower book fair with new technology and create a never-ending exchange platform for international book industry.”
– Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF）
ARPress has been actively participating in some of the world’s most prominent international book fairs, from the Bologna Book Fair and the London Book Fair to events in Miami and Sharjah. We’re excited to share that our journey doesn’t stop there. Our latest step forward: participation in the Beijing International Book Fair. This expansion brings even more opportunities to connect with readers, authors, and publishers on a truly global scale. And we’re just getting started.
The 31st edition of the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF), held from June 18 to 22, 2025, unfolded as a vibrant tapestry of literary innovation, cultural exchange, and academic collaboration. Hosted at the China National Convention Center, this year’s fair showcased over 400,000 titles and introduced groundbreaking initiatives that highlighted the evolving landscape of global publishing.
Spanning 50,000 square meters, BIBF 2025 featured more than 1,700 exhibitors from 80 countries, a significant increase from previous years. Notably, first-time participants from Bangladesh, Chile, Ethiopia, and Jamaica brought fresh perspectives to the fair’s diverse representation. The event attracted approximately 300,000 visitors on the first day alone, reflecting the growing global interest in literature and publishing.
Looking ahead; as BIBF 2025 concluded, it became evident that the fair had not only showcased the latest trends in publishing but also set the stage for future innovations. The integration of digital technologies, the celebration of cultural heritage, and the fostering of global dialogue all underscored the fair’s role as a pivotal platform in the evolving publishing world.
In the coming years, we anticipate further advancements in digital publishing, deeper cultural exchanges, and continued global collaboration, all of which will shape the future of literature and the publishing industry. BIBF 2025 has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the literary world, paving the way for a more interconnected and innovative publishing landscape.
ARPress has had the privilege of working with talented authors from around the globe. From June 18 to 22, 2025, some of their most remarkable works were showcased at an incredible book fair. It was a proud and humbling moment for both the authors and the publisher to take part in such a meaningful and prestigious event, one that not only celebrated literature but also supported a greater cause.
The Spare (Part 2) by Marsha May Fairchild Sumpter chronicles their marriage, which was given about two weeks to two months to survive. They stood two chances of making it work out—slim and none. But through commitment and stubbornness, they hung in there. The name Sumpter is in the dictionary and says, “a packhorse,” which she relates to a mule, telling Bill he was stubborn as a mule. This book tells a little about the years they lived in Rapid City and how they grew up. She’s sure there are others who have endured more turmoil and grief, but this is her tale of those formative years of marriage.
Author Marsha May Fairchild Sumpter was born and raised on a working ranch twenty-eight miles north of Philip, South Dakota. As young people, they worked hard and played hard, and events that occurred caused considerable pain to her both mentally and physically. Her choices were not the best, and at seventeen, she was very much on her own. The saying “I was the only hell my mother ever raised” was probably very accurate. She writes this to tell you what it was like growing up and to let others know their choices are important to their future.
She has had many life experiences, both good and bad, over the years. Growing up in the 1940s, every farmer/rancher in South Dakota was dirt poor, trying to produce a crop when there was no rain, or the grasshoppers took over or hail came and wiped out all. The hard work left its mark on this young person. It was always the next year’s country. Did she want to live and work at this all her life? That wasn’t a question that she asked herself, but she stayed away from that lifestyle at an early age.
After marriage, at a young age, it was “you made your bed, lie in it,” and she was destined to finish high school and care for a baby before knowing anything about babies other than lambs, calves, and pigs. Poverty was a way of life for this young couple, scrimping to make ends meet. Work consisted of being a bus driver at age eighteen, a short-order cook, and finally going on to get more education and work in offices.
Part 1 and Part 2 of this book are just to give a glimpse into life on the farm when she was growing up and carry you through the trials and tribulations encountered along the way.
In many ways, her story is very insignificant because she realized there are many people out there who encountered way more difficulties and survived them. Each and every person has a story to tell, and it is unfortunate they don’t write about it and let others know what it is like to be a survivor.
The Spare (Part 2) was displayed at the 2024 and 2025 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (LATFOB) – Book Gallery.
Purchase the book, The Spare (Part 2) by Marsha May Fairchild Sumpter, via this link:
