Again this year, Taipei International Book Exhibition both produces professional programming and hosts more from Frankfurt.
In the Taipei International Book Exhibition’s 2023 professional programming. Image: TiBE
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
See also:
The Netherlands in Taiwan: 400 Years of Shared History
Taipei International Book Exhibition 2024: A Market Profile
Programming by TiBE and Frankfurt Book Fair
During the upcomingTaipei International Book Exhibition (February 20 to 25), there’s a series of professional programming in place, produced both by the fair and by Frankfurter Buchmesse (October 16 to 20) as part of its international training program in book publishing.
In our experience, the response to these events has been very strong, Taiwan’s publishers engaging in strong numbers and with strong, insightful questions for international specialists speaking in the events.
Scheduled for February 21, 22, and 23, here are highlights as planned, in the order in which they occur. In the first program, on the morning of February 21, this year’s Guest of Honor Netherlands delegation is featured at several points.
February 21
At the opening of the Taipei International Book Exhibition, 2023. Nearest the camera is Isabella Wu, the show’s director. Image: TiBE
Your Brands, Your IP, and Your Presence in the World Market
Programming: Michelle Tu, Cecilia Chien, TiBE
10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Taipei World Trade Center, Hall 1, 2F, Conference Room R3
In English and Chinese
| 10:00-10:05 | Opening | |
| 10.05-10.40 | Author Branding | Michaël Roumen, literary manager, the Netherlands |
| 10.40-11.15 | How to pitch your IP into international markets? | Thomas Olde Heuvelt, author, the Netherlands |
| 11.15-11.25 | Break | |
| 11.25-11.55 | The Power of International Media in Marketing | Porter Anderson, editor-in-chief, Publishing Perspectives, USA |
| 11.55-12.25 | Panel Discussion | Moderated by Porter Anderson, editor-in-chief, Publishing Perspectives, USA |
| 12.25-12.30 | Closing Remark | Isabella Wu, TiBE director |
Catch the Reading Wave, Part 1
Programming: Claudia Kaiser, Katherina Rapp, Frankfurter Buchmesse with TiBE
2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Taipei World Trade Center, Hall 1, 2F, Conference Room R3
In English and Chinese
2 p.m. | Opening | |||
2-3 p.m. | Artificial Intelligence: Good and Bad in the Publishing Industry Artificial intelligence is probably the most discussed topic in our industry right now. It offers efficiency, improved content recommendations, facilitates research, writing, and lots of processes while at the same time it helps us in bringing our products to new target groups and new markets. However, there are also many concerns about creativity, data privacy, and copyright protection, just to mention a few. | Gissel Velarde, PhDcomputer science and engineering, Aalborg University, Denmark | ||
3-3:30 p.m. | Break | |||
3:30-4:30 p.m. | Futuretalk: How To Attract Young Readers In the digital age and also in a time that offers a world of entertainment, reaching young readers is a challenge that requires passion and creativity and also accommodation of their evolving preferences. To attract them, it’s of utmost importance to create diverse and relatable content across all genres and to embrace new technologies, i.e. make the content available on ebooks and interactive apps, work with augmented reality (AR), for instance. Followed by discussion until 5 p.m. | Eirik Wahlstrøm, co-founding CEO of Ludenso, Norway | ||
February 22
A session of Frankfurter Buchmesse and Taipei International Book Exhibition programming, 2023. Image TiBE
Luminaries in Korean Publishing: Publishing Empowerment Forum
This forum will look at the current state of the Korean publishing industry, including the development of Web comics and online novels, the thriving independent publishing and bookstores, and the subsequent impact of the fixed book price.
Programming: Michelle Tu, Cecilia Chien, TiBE
10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Taipei World Trade Center, Hall 1, 2F, Conference Room R3
In Korean and Chinese
10-10:05 a.m. | Opening with moderator: Rex How, chairman of Locus Publishing Company, Taiwan | |
10.05-10.40 a.m. | The Current Status and Future of Korean Webtoons and Web Novels Korean webtoons and web novels, expanding with mobile tech, are evolving into animations, films, and TV. Rapidly growing, they gain global appeal, especially web novel adaptations. Both symbolize Korea’s cultural and platform industries. | Hea-Jeong Jeon, School of Manhwa Contents, Chung Kang University, South Korea |
10.40-11.15 a.m. | The Desire of ‘Self-Realization’ Heating Up the Publishing Industry in Korea The reading population had rapidly declined in South Korea; however, independent publishing and bookstores have created a new and positive outlook for the publishing industry. The speaker will introduce this phenomena driven by the force which he calls the “desire of self-realization” | Wonhyung Choi, Book Desk, Hankyoreh, South Korea |
11.15-11.25 a.m. | Break | |
11.25-11.55 a.m. | Fixed Book Price System in Korea and Google’s Lawsuit A look at the structure of the Korean publishing industry to understand why it has adopted a fixed price for books and how they are maintaining it. In addition, the speaker will discuss a key challenge faced by the Korean publishing industry as the ebook market expands, compelling Google to introduce in-app purchases. | Chulho Yoon, president, Korean Publishers Association, South Korea |
11.55 a.m. -12.25 p.m. | Panel Discussion | All Speakers |
12.25-12.30 p.m. | Closing Remarks | Rex How |
Catch the Reading Wave, Part 2
Programming: Claudia Kaiser, Katherina Rapp, Frankfurter Buchmesse with TiBE
2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Taipei World Trade Center, Hall 1, 2F, Conference Room R3
In English and Chinese
| 2 p.m. | Opening | |
2-3 p.m. | Marketing / New Social Media and New Channels In the ever-changing world of book marketing, embracing new social media platforms and emerging channels is essential. It’s important to constantly watch out for new developments while at the same time preparing content for book marketing for the different channels. How must a publishing company organize itself to be able to meet these challenges? | Janni Deitenbach, head of community management, Bastei Lübbe AG, Germany |
3:3:30 p.m. | Break | |
3:30-4:30 p.m. | Games, Video, and Animation Some of the most popular genres for the young generation are Webtoons, games, and video content. In this session we want to explore what it is that makes Webtoons so attractive and how publishers can leverage this type of content, and develop it further. Followed by discussion until 5 p.m. | Thierry Baujard, Media Deals/Spielfabrique, Germany |
Children’s Book Forum: The Creativity Continues
This event is described as an opportunity to meet the creators of bestselling and enduring children’s books in Asia. Japanese author Tatsuya Miyanishi, known for his picturebook series I Am a Tyrannosaurus, and Chih-Yuan Chen, whose work GujiGuji series has been translated into nearly 20 languages, will share their work experiences, and the branding strategies that have brought success to their works.
Programming: Michelle Tu, Cecilia Chien, TiBE
2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Taipei World Trade Center, Hall 1, 2F, Conference Room R3
In Japanese and Chinese
| 2-2:10 p.m. | Opening with moderator:Pei-Yun Yu, Graduate Institute of Children’s Literature at National Taitung University, Taiwan | |
| 2:10-3:50 p.m. | The Process of Making a Picture Book Series | Tatsuya Miyanishi, picturebook authors, Japan |
| 3:50-4 p.m. | Break | |
| 4-4:50 p.m. | GujiGuji: Serialized and More | Chih-Yuan Chen, picturebook authors, Taiwan |
| 4:5o-5:30 p.m. | Discussion until 5:30 p.m. | All Speakers |
February 23
In programming staged by the Taipei International Book Exhibition and Frankfurter Buchmesse. Image: TiBE
Suzy Lee, a winner of the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award, has made a lasting impression on the publishing industry and the readers alike with her innovative picture books.
Programming: Michelle Tu, Cecilia Chien, TiBE
9 to 11:45 a.m.
Taipei World Trade Center, Hall 1, 2F, Conference Room R3
In Korean and Chinese
Moderator: Rex How, chairman of Locus Publishing Company, Taiwan
| 9:30-10:30 a.m. | My Creative Journey: Book Art Student to International Master | Suzy Lee, picturebook authors, South Korea |
| 10:30-10:45 a.m. | Break | |
| 10.45-11:45 a.m. | ‘Summer Vacation Plan’: A project initiated by Suzy Lee to collaborate with new talents | Suzy Lee, picturebook authors, South Korea |
For those reading from Taiwan, here are some logistical specifics about this year’s Taipei International Book Exhibition.
- Hours on February 20, 21, and 22: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- On February 23 and 24: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- On February 2/25: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
There are special local promotions offered by the ministry of culture:
- All ticket purchasers will receive a full ticket discount of 150 New Taiwan Dollars (US$4.78), which can be redeemed for purchases at the book fair.
- Free admission for those under 22 years old. (Terms and conditions apply.)
- To encourage young people to engage in the arts and cultural activities, the ministry provides young adults aged 16 to 22 with 1,200 “culture points,” one point being equal to one New Taiwan Dollar. Making purchases at the book fair with the culture points entitles the consumer to a 50-percent discount.
- Travel allowances are provided to schools in rural and remote areas to assist students in commuting between their hometowns and Taipei, to facilitate access. The schools use these fare allowances to organize book fair trips for the students.
On the Taipei International Book Exhibition display floor, 2023. Image: TiBE
More from us on Taiwan and its market ishere, and more on the Taipei International Book Exhibition ishere, and more on the Netherlands ishere.More from us on international trade shows and book fairs ishere.
About the Author
Porter Anderson
Porter Anderson has been named International Trade Press Journalist of the Year in London Book Fair's International Excellence Awards. He is Editor-in-Chief of Publishing Perspectives. He formerly was Associate Editor for The FutureBook at London's The Bookseller. Anderson was for more than a decade a senior producer and anchor with CNN.com, CNN International, and CNN USA. As an arts critic (Fellow, National Critics Institute), he was with The Village Voice, the Dallas Times Herald, and the Tampa Tribune, now the Tampa Bay Times. He co-founded The Hot Sheet, a newsletter for authors, which now is owned and operated by Jane Friedman.
