Taipei Int'l Book Exhibition kicks off

Taipei, Feb. 3 (CNA) The 2026 Taipei International Book Exhibition (TiBE) officially opened Tuesday, marking the 34th edition of Taiwan's largest international book event of the year.

The exhibition opened at 10 a.m. at the Taipei World Trade Center and will run through Sunday, featuring 509 stands from 29 countries and more than 60 international authors, co-organizer Taipei Book Fair Foundation said in a press release Monday.

This is the second consecutive year since the COVID-19 pandemic that TiBE has featured more than 500 stands. In 2019, the last edition before the pandemic, the exhibition brought together 735 publishers from 52 countries for a total of 1,859 stands.

The 2026 TiBE is themed "CreaTHAIvity," with Thailand serving as the guest of honor for the third time and the first since 2014.

According to the foundation, at least 18 Thai writers are expected to attend, including Veeraporn Nitiprapha, the first Thai writer to receive the Southeast Asian Writers Award twice, and former Thai parliamentarian Pita Limjaroenrat.

Nitiprapha's second novel, "Memories of the Memories of the Black Rose Cat," which won her the S.E.A. Write Award in 2018, and Limjaroenrat's "The Almost Prime Minister," recounting his high-stakes journey during the 2023 general election and his ultimately unsuccessful bid to become prime minister, were published in Chinese in Taiwan in late January. An English version of Nitiprapha's novel is also available.

Other international authors include Japanese writer Banana Yoshimoto, South Korean novelist Cheon Myeong-kwan and American novelist Anthony Marra.

During its six-day run, the exhibition will open at 10 a.m. daily and close at 6 p.m. from Tuesday to Thursday, 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Admission is free for students in Taiwan under the age of 18, and for people with physical disabilities and one accompanying person.

Residents south of Taoyuan, including Taoyuan itself, as well as Yilan, Hualien and Taitung counties, can also enter free with same-day high-speed rail or train tickets.

Single-day tickets are priced at NT$180 (US$4.75).

Students in Taiwan aged 18 and above may purchase discounted tickets for NT$100 with a valid student ID. The same price applies to people aged 65 and above and to the general public after 6 p.m. during the final three days of the exhibition.

Ticket booths close one hour before the exhibition ends each day.