A virtual pavilion featuring the works of Taiwanese artists is being presented by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair this year, the agency said on Saturday.
The Italy-based event is not only a platform dedicated to the international children’s book trade, but also leads the latest trends in global illustration, the agency said.
In its 59th year, the fair is to be held online from today through Thursday, it said.
Curated by TAICCA, the theme of the Taiwan Pavilion is “To live is to create.”
The key visual of the online presentation was designed by illustrator and designer Croter Hung (洪添賢), the agency said, adding that 298 publications recommended by 64 publishers are displayed in the virtual pavilion.
“This year, we’re not only promoting Taiwan’s illustration and publishing industries to the world, but also incorporating cross-industry collaboration,” TAICCA chief executive officer Lee Ming-che (李明哲) said.
Taiwanese children’s books and illustrations have performed exceptionally at this year’s fair, the agency said.
Lin Lian-en’s (林廉恩) Home, published by the Papa Publishing House, received the prestigious Bologna Ragazzi Award in the fiction category, it said.
Animo Chen’s (阿尼默) Love Letter (情批), published by Locus Publishing, received special mention in the poetry category of the Bologna Ragazzi Award, it said.
This year’s official selection at the fair includes 77 artists selected from among 3,235 applicants, it said.
Eight of them are Taiwanese: Chang Hsiao-chi (張筱琦), Huang Yu-chen (黃右禎), Hsueh Hui-yin (薛慧瑩), Huang Yi-wen (黃一文), Cho Pei-hsin (卓霈欣), Dai Wei-chun (戴維君), Chen Yi-chin (陳怡今) and Chen Wei-hsuan (陳瑋璿), it said.
Two other Taiwanese artists — Poppy Li (李品萱) and Chang Tzu-chun (張梓鈞) — were featured in the “Children Spectators” section, it said, adding that they were among 35 illustrators who won a competition to be included this year.
The agency said that it is partnering with the Animation and Visual Effects Association to promote the featured artists with a series of short animations, which can be found on TAICCA’s YouTube channel.
The Taiwan Pavilion can be visited online at https://taiwan-bcbf.taicca.tw/2021/.
Meanwhile, Taiwanese director Joe Hsieh’s (謝文明) animated film Night Bus won the short film category of the Grand Competition at Animafest Zagreb in Croatia on Saturday.
The 20-minute Night Bus tells the story of a necklace being stolen on a bus ride along the coast and a subsequent fatal accident.
Hsieh said that he restarted making the short film after working with Hong Kong director Yonfan (楊凡), because the experience taught him the importance of detail.
He said that the film uses Mandarin and Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) to reflect real life in Taiwan, adding that Hoklo adds emotion and charm to the animation.
As Animafest Zagreb is on the list of qualifying festivals for the Oscars, Hsieh’s latest win gives him the opportunity to compete in next year’s Academy Awards.
Additional reporting by CNA
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,