According to the latest data, book sales totalled HUF 62.7 billion in 2005, up 7.8 percent from 2004.
Zentai called the figure a "decent increase", compared to the previous year?s slight 2 percent expansion, and the market?s 5.8 percent growth in 2003. The market for fiction widened significantly, mostly because of a few foreign bestsellers and the publication of some highly acclaimed works by Hungary?s best contemporary authors, Zentai said. Sales of fiction accounted for 17.8 percent of total book market turnover, well over the European average. The children's book market also showed exceptional growth.
However, scientific and professional publications, which account for much of book sales, saw a dramatic HUF 2 billion decline, clearly the result of fewer state subsidies.
It is impossible to rely only on market-based distribution in this area, because of the few, but expensive books sold. Still, the MKKE expects the state increase subsidies for the books, recommending bulk purchases by the country?s libraries, Zentai said.
As before, textbooks and foreign language instruction books made up the book market?s biggest segment last year: with sales of HUF 16.3 billion, the category accounted for 26 percent of total turnover.
Concentration on the market continued last year as well, with the 13 largest publishers ? all with sales of more than HUF 1 billion -- controlling 58 percent of the market. Zentai said he finds concentration to be a natural process, and unrelated to the increasing number of bestsellers on offer. There are about 1,300 book publishers in Hungary, some of which only publish one book per year.
Quality book publishing continues to prevail in Hungary, a country with great literary traditions, and "we can be proud of that," Zentai noted.
Hungarian News Agency MTI
