Italy has been selected as the guest of honor at this year’s Taipei International Book Exhibition from Feb. 4 to 9 at the Taipei World Trade Center, and is set to showcase its illustrators and authors across literary genres, organizers said yesterday.
The Italian Pavilion would feature two sections, dedicated to Italian illustrators and comic artists, and children’s book authors, with the first section showcasing works from 30 artists, and the second featuring about 60 children’s books and picture books selected by the International Board on Books for Young People, Italia, the Ministry of Culture said.
Eleven “heavyweight” Italian authors published in fields from contemporary literature to picture books, suspense, children’s literature and detective fiction are slated to make appearances to promote their new books and speak at related forums, the ministry said.
Photo: CNA
The authors are Beatrice Alemagna, Mario Barenghi, Gianni Biondillo, Davide Cali, Laura Imai Messina, Eliana Liotta, Federica Manzon, Fabiano Massimi, Susanna Mattiangeli, Lorenzo Mattotti and Luca Peyron.
Meanwhile, more than 50 international authors are scheduled to give speeches, including Hong Kong novelist Jozev Lau (喬靖夫), British illustrator Marion Deuchars and Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto, the Taipei Book Fair Foundation said.
Other countries to be featured at the book fair include Thailand, India, Belgium, France, Germany and the Czech Republic.
People aged between 18 and 22 who present the ministry’s “culture points” digital vouchers would be granted free admission.
Those who purchase a ticket would receive a coupon equivalent to the ticket’s face value, which they could spend at the book fair, the ministry said.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by