The 13th Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE), sponsored by the Government Information Office, is slated to open tomorrow at the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC).
The annual event will feature a series of exhibitions and discussions that reflect reading activities and trends in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the organizer, the private Taipei Book Fair Foundation.
During the book fair, two major reading trends will be highlighted: "book art" and "digital publishing."
The TIBE 2005 will take place at three different TWTC halls, with Hall I divided into five major sections -- international publishers and their publications; general books; books of special interest; and assorted magazines featuring business, finance, digital content, popular culture and lifestyle.
Hall II will be dedicated to comic books to accommodate domestic and foreign publishers, while Hall III will be devoted to children's books and will include 400 booths displaying works from both Taiwan and abroad, according to the organizer.
Halls I and III will be open only to professional visitors tomorrow and Wednesday, but the public can take part in the activities in Hall II throughout the event and in Halls I and III from Thursday. The show will run until Feb. 20.
Meanwhile, to celebrate the book festival, two major chain bookstore operators in Taiwan -- Eslite and Kingstone -- have already launched "fun reading book fairs" at their 20 branches across the island prior to the TIBE 2005 opening.
Taipei Book Fair Foundation Chairman Rex How said yesterday that the bookstore activities, which began on Feb. 1 and will run until Feb. 28, are not only warm-ups for the exhibition but also an effort to promote the upcoming TIBE at bookstores around the country.
The effort is aimed at boosting a nationwide reading atmosphere, How said, adding that he hopes those who live in townships and villages outside of Taipei City and not able to visit the TIBE 2005 can still feel the book-fair atmosphere and buy books with the same discounts that book-fair visitors will enjoy.
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