China's reading list reveals a few surprises

2011 witnessed dramatic changes in the country's publishing and reading scene. With the rise of e-publishing, traditional publishers faced the real danger of losing out in a new era, as highlighted by the theme of two key publishers' gatherings.

The Beijing International Publishing Forum and China Book International's Foreign Experts Seminar - both staged in August - focused on e-publishing.

At the same time, traditional bookstores are closing down, while others struggle to survive.