The Ministry of Culture (MOC) inaugurated the first Taiwan International Children and Youth Book Fair at the Taichung International Exhibition Center on Sept. 18. Titled “Crossing Cities, Reading without Borders,” the Book Fair spotlights Taichung as its featured city.
Deputy Minister of Culture Lee Ching-hwi (李靜慧), Deputy Director Tseng Neng-ting (曾能汀) of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Taichung City Government, Representative Marco Lombardi of the Italian Economic, Commercial, and Cultural Promotion Office in Taipei, and other distinguished guests attended the opening ceremony.
Deputy Minister Lee noted that, following the growth of the Taipei International Book Fair into one of Asia’s largest book exhibitions, the MOC consulted with the publishing sector and local governments to launch a new book fair dedicated to children’s and youth literature, to be hosted in different cities each year.
According to the MOC, the inaugural Taiwan International Children and Youth Book Fair features 127 exhibitors—including writers, illustrators, and publishers from 14 countries—and nearly 200 seminars and activities.
Representative Lombardi highlighted that the Italian Pavilion presents two special exhibitions under the theme “In the High Imagination,” a phrase drawn from Dante’s poetry. He invited the public to explore Italian culture through six discussions and talks.
The exhibition runs through Sept. 21. For more information, visit the official website of the Taiwan International Children and Youth Book Fair.
