(15 May 2020) The online edition of the 2020 Taipei International Book Exhibition (TiBE)—New Horizons of Reading, which is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan, and organized by the Taipei Book Fair Foundation—will open on May 15th.
TiBE is one of the biggest Asian book fairs and has been praised by the media for having the highest number of and most diverse categories of onsite events and activities in Asia. This year, the book fair was canceled due to concerns about COVID-19. As the global pandemic has challenged people’s everyday lives and face-to-face interactions have been restricted, how can the warmth of reading be shown to the world?
Despite the impact of the disease, TiBE will continue to curate wonderful showcases that reflect authors’ passions and curiosity towards the world and life. Readers can experience amazing journeys and enrich themselves from the comfort of their own home.
Themed as New Horizons of Reading, the online version of TiBE 2020 will be presented in four major parts, six themed exhibitions, 500+ videos, and 1000+ books.
1. TiBE 2020 Themed Exhibitions Online:
This part will be a highlight presentation of six themed exhibitions, including “Food in Federico Fellini’s Drawings,” “2020 TiBE Book Awards,” “Golden Butterfly Awards 2020,” “Let’s Go! Explore Museums,” “Taiwan Art History in the Comics,” and “Recommended Titles for Elementary and Junior High Students.” Readers will be able to taste different cultures in this section through a flexible online experience.
2. TiBE 2020 Reading Salons Online
This section will showcase 28 readers’ favorite author meetings salon activities in online videos, including interviews with TiBE Awards winners, well-known local authors, illustrators, and comic artists. Some of them will do book readings or share their tips on how to get through the pandemic in a relaxed and comfortable manner. Foreign authors such as Emmanuel Lepage, Éric Vuillard, Jan Mohnhaupt, and Ronen Steinke will also record themselves reading their own works for Taiwanese readers. The featured genres will range from prose, fiction, and field research to children’s books, comics, music, and memoirs. Abundant online content will allow visitors to experience new reading possibilities.
3. TiBE 2020 Online Book Show
The annual TiBE is one of the most important promotional periods for local publishing houses which put a lot of effort into organizing book launches and marketing plans around this time in attempt to attract readers and boost sales. The Online Book Show section will present photos and introductions of 1000+ highlighted publications, providing readers a quick-and-easy method to find the most recommended books from various publishers.
4. Reading News
This section will share information about reading activities and book launches held by publishing houses, physical bookstores, and arts & cultural associations in different Taiwanese cities during the period of the online book fair. By promoting these activities, we hope to expand local readership and spread the love of books to every corner of the country.
Visit www.tibeonline.tw to explore the new horizons of reading!
