At the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2024, The Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), in partnership with the Taipei Book Fair Foundation, presents the Taiwan Pavilion, showcasing 298 original Taiwanese titles and featuring the participation of four Taiwanese illustrators: Croter (What Would Take You Away), Maniniwei (My Sister's Empty House), Pei-Hsiu Chen (Still Young Still New), and Yuan-Cin Jheng, whose piece "Prison" has been selected to the illustrators exhibition this year. Additionally, two works by Taiwanese illustrators, "The Seed and the Wind" and "Have Fun In Tuā-Tiū-Tiânn", have been selected for The BRAW Amazing Bookshelf 2024. This year, TAICCA ventures into the fair's "BolognaBookPlus" for the first time, with the goal of expanding the global market for Taiwanese visual creations.
Taiwanese illustrator Yuan-Cin Jheng (Left) © TAICCA
Yuan-Cin Jheng's "Prison," part of his “Addresses of Letters” collection, secured him a place among the 78 globally recognized projects. Jheng employed wax strips and water-based pigments to craft a textured, low-saturation effect using carbon bars. Explaining his inspiration, Jheng revealed that each address, be it a heavily guarded prison, a sturdy fortress, or a bustling factory, symbolizes a facet of his inner self that is elusive. In the painting, a black postal car tirelessly delivers letters, signifying the hope that everyone receives the messages sent to them. With over a decade of experience in creating picture books, Jheng views illustration as both an exploration of life and a form of personal catharsis.
Taiwan Pavilion-Taiwan Story Island. © TAICCA
In addition to Yuan-Cin Jheng, three other illustrators, Croter, Maniniwei, and Pei-Hsiu Chen, whose works have been selected for "The BRAW Amazing Bookshelf 2022", will also participate in signing and drawing events at the Taiwan Pavilion to interact and engage with readers.
In order to boost the export of Taiwanese picture book rights, TAICCA has enrolled in the "BolognaBookPlus" (BBPlus) program, participating in two professional publishing forums. On April 9th, Emily Chuang, founder of Emily Books Agency and Emily Publishing Company, will lead a "Panel Discussion: Author Representation Around the World," engaging in dialogue with representatives from France, Spain, and Norway. Following this, on April 10th, "The Translation Forum/Books from Taiwan: Discover and Translate" will feature discussions led by Kim Pai, founder of the PaiSha Agency, and Sushin, Managing Director of B.K. Agency, alongside TAICCA representatives, shedding light on Taiwan's strategies for promoting its publications internationally. Additionally, the Taiwan Pavilion will facilitate two matchmaking events with Italian and Chilean publishers on April 9th and 10th.
TAICCA at BBPLus © TAICCA
Jiun-Wei Lu, Chief Executive Officer of TAICCA, pointed out that Taiwan boasts a wealth of illustration and picture books and has won various awards at the Bologna Children's Book Fair over the years, demonstrating the strength of Taiwan's cultural content. He hopes that, by joining rights business activities at international fairs, Taiwan can be connected to more trade resources, bringing more Taiwanese publications and creators to the global stage.
This year, the Taiwan Pavilion adopts the theme "Taiwan Story Island", curated by artist Page Tsou, the pavilion consultant. Centered around the ocean, this theme incorporates vibrant blue as the primary color, symbolizing Taiwan's geographical characteristic of being surrounded by the sea. There will also be booths from the Taiwan Pavilion at the BBPlus Business Event
Area and Comic Corner.
《The Seed and The Wind》© TAICCA
In the Taiwan Pavilion, 59 publishing houses are represented, showcasing a total of 298 books. The physical exhibition area is divided into the following sections:
"Award-winning Books": Featuring 29 books in total, this section highlights winners of prestigious awards such as the BolognaRagazzi Award from Taiwan, along with recent recipients of the Golden Tripod Awards, Golden Comic Awards, and Children's Book and Young Adult Novels Award from TIBE Book Prize.
"Recommended Titles": Showcasing 90 original Taiwanese titles published between 2022 and 2023, this section focuses on books with high potential for success in the international market.
"Exhibitors' Zone": This section presents 127 books recommended by 10 Taiwanese publishing houses, emphasizing titles with potential for international rights exchange.
"Featured Illustrators": Showcasing the works of four prominent illustrators—Croter Hung, Pei-Hsiu Chen, Maniniwei, and Yuan-Cin Jheng—this section comprises a total of 14 books, accompanied by personal profiles and illustrations.
- Taiwan story island：https://taiwan-bcbf.taicca.tw/