Publishing: The Smile of the Cambodian People, a book to tell French speakers about Cambodia
Presented on 2 November at the Ministry of Information, this 200-page Khmer-French book sets out to show the kingdom beyond Angkor. It comes out a few weeks before the Francophonie Summit.
The book was presented to the press on 2 November at 2:30 pm at the Ministry of Information, chaired by Information Minister Neth Pheaktra. Its title: Le Sourire du peuple cambodgien (The Smile of the Cambodian People). It is published in Khmer and French and runs to 200 pages.
The book starts from a simple observation. Cambodia is known around the world for the temples of Angkor. It is far less known for its people, their hospitality, their food, their beliefs and their everyday customs. The book aims to close that gap.
It brings together contributions from Cambodian and international writers. The texts cover the history, traditions and heritage that shape the country's identity. They portray a living society in which the past still feeds the ambitions of today.
The smile as a common thread
The smile in the title refers to Cambodian hospitality. For the authors, it is also where encounters begin. Their idea: you understand a country better by meeting its people than by reading statistics or visiting its tourist sites.
Ky Soklim, co-founder of ThmeyThmey Media Group and a contributor to the book, sums up the aim. It is to help French-speaking readers gain a deeper understanding of Cambodia, its history, civilisation, traditions and future.
A bridge to the Francophone world
The timing is deliberate. Phnom Penh hosts the 20th Francophonie Summit on 15 and 16 November, the first ever held in Cambodia. The book is due out in the weeks before.
There are two reasons for publishing in two languages. French opens Cambodian culture to an international readership. Khmer underlines the place of the national language in the country's identity. The book's message puts it in its own way: "The smile of the Cambodian people is the smile of the Francophone community."
Two publishers, two histories
The book is co-published by ThmeyThmey Media Group and Sipar Publishing. ThmeyThmey is a Cambodian online news outlet launched in 2012.
Sipar goes back further. The association was founded in France in 1982 to support Cambodian, Vietnamese and Lao refugees. It has worked in Cambodia since 1991. In 1993 it opened its first children's library there, in Kompong Speu, at a time when no children's books existed in Khmer. Since 2001 its publishing house has released 306 titles and printed 3.3 million copies.
Practical information
• Title: Le Sourire du peuple cambodgien (The Smile of the Cambodian People)
• Languages: Khmer and French
• Length: 200 pages
• Publishers: ThmeyThmey Media Group and Sipar Publishing
• Release: in the weeks before the Francophonie Summit (15-16 November 2026)
• Price: US$4 pre-order, US$5 regular
• Orders: +855 10 567 505, or on Telegram: t.me/Hornsyna
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