Organized by the Taipei Book Fair Foundation, the Taiwan Pavilion took part in the 2019 Frankfurt Book Fair from Oct. 16 through 20. "Taiwan: Island of Amazing Stories" was chosen as this year's theme to introduce the beauty of Taiwan's natural and humanistic landscapes.
Literary writers Syaman Rapongan (夏曼．藍波安), who previously embarked on a one-man canoeing voyage across the Southern Pacific, and Liao Hung-chi (廖鴻基, also credited as Liao Hung-gee), whose works depict the importance of marine ecology conservation, were among this year's special guests at the book fair.
Furthermore, the Ministry has worked with the National Museum of Taiwan Literature to produce a booklet of translation samples on the two writers, specifically excerpts from "The Old Fisherman (老海人)" and "Life of Whale (鯨生鯨世)," to introduce their works to the international literary community.
For the first time, there was also a separate pavilion dedicated to the best Taiwanese comic publications from a wide variety of styles. The "Forest of Comics" theme was chosen to reflect the extraordinary diversity and vibrant vitality of Taiwanese comics, and provide a unique experience for readers and publishing professionals from all over the world.
There was also a special tribute to Chen Uen (鄭問), a late artist hailed as a national treasure who led the Taiwanese comics renaissance of the 1980s. The "Master Chen Uen Special Exhibition" in Frankfurt was a superb showcase of his classic works, paintings, and video game art.
Altogether, the two Taiwanese pavilions showcased a total of 117 publishing houses and 832 pieces of print and digital publications in sections divided as Featured Authors, Featured Publishers, Recommended Titles From Taiwan, Titles With Foreign Rights Sold, Books From Taiwan, and Digital Publications. These selected works represent the quality, vitality, and diversity of Taiwanese publications.