The Taipei International Book Exhibition 2010 opens at the Taipei World Trade Center (台北世貿中心) this Wednesday and will feature representatives from hundreds of publishing houses along with 100 authors and other special guests from 58 countries.
The focus this year is on France, with more than 45 authors and representatives from major French publishing houses including Denoel and Hachette scheduled to participate in professional seminars, open forums and book signings throughout the duration of the fair.
Among the visiting authors is novelist Muriel Barbery, whose best-selling L’Elegance du Herisson (The Elegance of the Hedgehog) has been adapted into a film of the same title that hits local screens today [see Other Releases on Page 16].
Novelist, playwright and film director Philippe Claudel will present his newest work, Le Rapport de Brodeck, at the fair. Claudel has 14 published novels under his belt, and his most famous work to date, Les Ames Grises (Grey Souls), won the 2003 Prix Renaudot award.
The fair’s international section also includes 18 pavilions representing publishers from countries such as Italy and Israel. Though the international section is mainly a venue for copyright negotiations, some of the 2,500 items on display in the French pavilion will be available for purchase on Feb. 1, the last day of the fair.
This year’s edition will for the first time feature a section dedicated exclusively to Taiwanese authors, with manuscripts and documents from a dozen literature luminaries including Yeh Shih-tao (葉石濤), Huang Chun-ming (黃春明), Kenneth Pai (白先勇) and Chu Tien-wen (朱天文).
Fans of Chinese literature are in for a treat, with more than 10 of the world’s most celebrated Chinese-language authors from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the UK and the US — including Ha Jin (哈金), Guo Xiaolu (郭小櫓), Li Zishu (黎紫書), Liu Zhenyun (劉震雲) and Bi Feiyu (畢飛宇) — scheduled to attend 13 seminars on various topics.
While the pavilions in Exhibition Hall 1 of the Taipei World Trade Center focus on literature, Hall 2 will host a wealth of graphic works such as comics, anime and manga as well as a myriad of activities including book signings, forums, workshops and the annual cosplay competition. Booths in Hall 3 will be devoted to children’s publishing.
Guests making an appearance in Hall 2 include Japanese voice actresses Junko Takeuchi and Rie Kugimiya, both of whom have risen to the level of superstardom among anime fans. Internationally known cosplay group 304 from Hangzou, China, will give a performance inspired by Chinese mythology on Wednesday.
Visitors should note that Hall 1 will only be open to trade representatives and disabled persons on the first day of the fair.
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