Under the banner “Power of Reading,” the 2018 Taipei International Book Exhibition will offer five international forums, ten themed pavilions, and over 500 sessions of book signings, workshops, and promotional events this February. New additions to the annual book-centric festivities include AR products and a deeper emphasis on independent publications and original materials from Taiwan.
Of the five forums, four will respectively be devoted to global publishing, children’s books, book design, and digital publications. The fifth – Frankfurt Publishers Training Program – is a joint program from the Taipei Book Fair Foundation and Frankfurt Book Fair. The two-day workshop will feature speakers from Germany, India, Malaysia, Switzerland, and the UK. See the full lineup here.
This year, several pavilions are oriented towards promoting books and the habit of reading among younger crowds. There will be two sets of recommended books – one set of children’s books, one set of publications by young writers – as well as booths dedicated to Taiwanese original characters, independent publishers, and the fusion of augmented reality with comic stories.
Twelve illustrious Taiwanese illustrators will also hold salon talks at the “Art Museum of Taiwan Illustrators” pavilion curated by award-winning artist Page Tsou. The venue itself will showcase 136 artworks by 30 Taiwan artists, 50 Taiwanese picture books that will be translated into foreign languages, and over a hundred publications that represented Taiwan at last year’s Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
In terms of guest nations, the publishing prowess of the European Union Pavilion will be represented by Austria, Czech Republic (Czechia), Estonia, Greece, Italy, and Portugal, whereas Belgium, Germany, France, and the UK will booth individual pavilions.
The European nations will bring books and illustrations penned by artists such as the late prolific Czech painter Mikolas Ales, “Mole” creator Zdenek Miler, Belgian illustrator Ian De Haes, German writer Stephan Thome, French illustrator Clemence Pollet, and erotic novelist Leila Slimani. The Hellenic Foundation of Culture has also curated a selection of children’s books for Taiwan readers. The UK-based Book Depository will also join the Taipei book fair for the first time.
The Japan Pavilion will commemorate the 90th anniversary of the birth of Japanese manga artist Osamu Tezuka, the titan who created “Astro Boy” and “Black Jack,” while the Hong Kong, South Korea, and Thailand pavilions will host guest speakers including war correspondent Susanna Cheung, thriller novelist Jeong You Jeong, and science fiction writer Chan Koonchung.
Wrapping up the guest list are Brazil and Ukraine, both first-time guests at the Taipei book fair, and Israel, the theme country of this year’s book exhibition, for 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Israel. More information on the Israel Pavilion can be found here.
The 2018 Taipei International Book Exhibition will run from Feb. 6 through 11 at Hall 1 and 3 of the Taipei World Trade Center. Doors to regular ticketholders will open after 3pm on the first day, and hours have been extended to 10pm on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 9-10) to accommodate different work schedules. Free entry is offered to those below the age of 18.
Follow #TIBE2018 for more updates or to join the conversation!
‘2018 Taipei International Book Exhibition’
- Date: Feb. 6 – 11, 2018
- TWTC Hall 1: No. 5, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd., Taipei City
- TWTC Hall 3: No. 6, Songshou Rd., Taipei City
- Ticket Info: English
- App: Android, iOS