The 2022 Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE) will host a number of French guests and events as it showcases France as the guest of honor. Celebrating the TIBE's 30th anniversary, the exhibition has been moved to the summer season for the first time ever and will be held from June 2 through 7 at the Taipei World Trade Center.
The literary slogan for the event will be "I read, therefore I am (我閱讀，故我在)," a play on renowned French philosopher René Descartes famous quote "I think, therefore I am." It is hoped that reading will give people the comfort they need in the post-pandemic world.
A total of 2,000 books from 80 publishers will be exhibited; three special exhibitions, keynote speeches, and workshops will also be held to showcase the arts and culture of France. The works of modern French writers such as Chantal Thomas, Pierre Lemaitre and Éric Faye, and handwritten manuscripts from literary greats like George Sand, Marcel Proust and Victor Hugo will also be on display at the fair under the themes of "À la recherche de Proust (In Search of Proust)," "Éclats d’explorations : traversée des œuvres d'Emmanuel Lepage (Exploring the works of Emmanuel Lepage)."
Organizers of the Taipei book fair also announced that Ukraine will join the expo for the first time at a special "We Stand with Ukraine" section. The fair will also include a special exhibition displaying works by 15 Ukrainian illustrators that reflect the current experience and feelings of Ukrainians about the ongoing war with Russia. Meanwhile, at the Hong Kong Pavilion, it will not only present contemporary Hong Kong literary works and academic research results, but also hold discussions on English learning, Hong Kong cinema, music and contemporary literary development.
Launched in 1987, TIBE is one of the largest international book fairs in Asia and attracted about 580,000 visitors in 2019. The physical event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 and held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Focused on promoting reading, international exchange, and the publishing field, TIBE is a great chance to meet international publishing industry professionals.