Taipei book fair to showcase large international section

Taipei, Jan. 27 (CNA) The annual Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE) will include a large international section exploring culture and literature from Europe and parts of Asia when it kicks off next week.

Book lovers can embark on a journey of adventure across multiple destinations around the world by flipping through the pages of their favorite books and listening to talks by guest speakers at the TIBE which will be held at the Taipei World Trade Center from Feb. 4 until Feb. 9.

The European Union pavilion will display books written in all 24 of its official languages with particular emphasis on literature from nine of its member states -- Austria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

One section of the pavilion will also showcase 14 outstanding and emerging literary talents who received the "European Union Prize for Literature" in 2019.

Extracts from those works have been compiled into a book with the original language and corresponding English translations for visitors to pick up a copy so they can enjoy the linguistic diversity, said Filip Grzegorzewski, head of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan.

"The motto of the EU is 'United in Diversity.' Indeed diversity is a trademark of the EU and we are very proud of that because it really enriches our way of life and way of thinking," he said.

Grzegorzewski and the offices of 12 EU member states will also host three interactive talks from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Feb. 5-9, ranging from Austrian arts and culture and Slovak classics, to Spanish comics at the International Bar, which is situated next to the EU pavilion.

The talks will also include authors from the Czech Republic and Poland, speakers from Italy and Germany, in addition to European diplomats, Grzegorzewski said.

Among the many visiting international guests, the France Pavilion will showcase the works of renowned French illustrators Emmanuel Lepage, who sketched the comic book" Springtime in Chernobyl," and Elsa Mroziewicz, the author of board book "Peek-a-Who?"

Lepage will give a talk from 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Feb. 5 at the main stage Theme Square, and from 6 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Feb. 7 at the fair's Blue Salon.

Mroziewicz will give a presentation on mythology and cross-media from 12:15 p.m. to 1:35 p.m. Feb. 6 at Theme Square and a talk on pop-up books from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Feb. 8 at Blue Salon.

The Germany pavilion will invite German Ronen Steinke, the author of the biography "Fritz Bauer: The Jewish Prosecutor Who Brought Eichmann and Auschwitz to Trial" to speak about his book at 2:15 Feb. 5 at Blue Salon and also give a presentation on revealing truth and justice from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. on Feb. 6 at Theme Square.

The biography tells the story of German Jewish judge and prosecutor Fritz Bauer, who played an instrumental role in the arrest of Nazi official Adolf Eichmann, who was found guilty of being one of the main organizers of the Holocaust during World War II.

The German edition of the book, first published in 2013, was adapted into the movie "The People Vs. Fritz Bauer" in 2015, while the English version of the book is scheduled for publication this year.

Almost 50 foreign authors are expected to attend and give talks at this year's book fair.

Other countries and territories that will have pavilions or booths at the TIBE include Slovakia, Poland, Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea, which is the guest of honor at this year's book fair.

As a special promotion to boost tourism and attract international travelers, Robert Lin (林訓民), Taipei Book Fair Foundation chairman, told CNA that foreign nationals and tourists in Taiwan, will be granted free entry to the event on showing their passports.

Approximately 580,000 people visited the 2019 TIBE, held Feb. 12-17 at the Taipei World Trade Center, according to data provided by the foundation.