TiBE 2018 Yearly Theme: Power of Reading

TiBE 2018 Guest of Honor: Israel

The 2018 Taipei International Book Exhibition(TiBE) had 359 overseas publishers from 60 countries and 325 local exhibitors, and the attendance reached 530,000. Overall, the 2018 edition saw a 10% growth in the number of publishers, participating in 1,330 copyright sessions during the event. In addition, the number of topical seminars and forums also increased 27% to 1,180, averaging 200 activities per day.

The Guest of Honor Israel selected more than 200 titles to showcase its cultural essences, and four renowned Israeli writers(Noa Yedlin, Hanoch Piven, Yannets Levi, Gil Hovav) visited TiBE for in-person interaction with local readers. Also, a vast array of Israeli cultural experiences was on offer during the event, including lunar new year couplets in Hebrew, Rummikub games, VR tours, and fresh produce from the region.

Overall organization of TiBE 2018 was met with warm welcome from international participants. Japanese pavilion boasted over 70 publishers engaged in 100-plus copyright meetings; equally enthusiastic were first-time participants Brazil, Finland, and Quebec. International writers who visited the TiBE 2018 included such big names as British illustrator Steve Antony, bestselling Japanese novelists Honobu Yonezawa and Banana Yoshimoto, and picture book writer Yuichi Kimura, and American thriller writer Wendy Walker.

Continuing the campaign of free admission for underage visitors, the book fair served as an optimal opportunity for families to stock up on quality reading, in addition to a wide array of board games and stationery for children. The family-friendly environment was further boosted by the presence of the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade mascot Bravo in Hall 3 of the exposition.