2017 Taipei International Book Exhibition gets underway

2017/02/10

The 2017 Taipei International Book Exhibition kicked off Feb. 8 at Taipei World Trade Center, spotlighting the latest publishing trends from around the world and Taiwan’s growing role in the global industry.

Running until Feb. 13, TIBE is being held under the theme Sharing the Joy of Reading. The exhibition features 1,780 booths by 621 publishers from 59 countries and territories, with attendance figures expected to exceed last year’s 500,000 to 600,000, according to organizer Taipei Book Fair Foundation.

Vice President Chen Chien-jen said at the opening ceremony that TIBE has played a crucial role in fostering links between the local and overseas publishing sectors, helping present Taiwan’s cultural creativity on the international stage. He also praised the diversity and vitality of the domestic publishing industry, noting that local talents produce some 40,000 original titles annually.

According to Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun, TIBE has grown into a major platform for local and foreign writers to exchange ideas, helping bolster awareness of Taiwan’s culture and bringing quality international works to local audiences.

In addition to showcasing diverse publications from home and abroad, TIBE features book launches, forums, lectures and readings by local companies as well as foreign publishers from countries such as Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Japan, Slovakia and the U.S. The largest international pavilion presents works by 13 Swiss companies spanning topics including architecture, children’s literature, design and photography.

For the first time, this year’s fair also includes the Independent Publishers and Nongovernmental Organizations zone. Jointly organized by three Taiwan-based organizations—Indie Publishers, Taiwan Association for Independent Bookshop Culture and Taiwan Labour Front—the section seeks to highlight the contributions of local bookstores and offers a range of independently published works.

Introduced in 1987, TIBE is also continuing its collaboration with Germany’s Frankfurt Book Fair, one of the largest events of its kind worldwide, through the Frankfurt Academy Training Program. Launched in 2014, the initiative introduces local publishers to the latest innovations and marketing strategies across such areas as international copyrights and digital publishing.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=18&post=111176)