“Reading Is Amazing” was the theme for the 34th edition of the Taipei International Book Exhibition, which ended its six-day run on February 8. Thailand was the guest of honor, with “CreaTHAIvity” as its slogan. This year, just over 500 stands hosted exhibitors from 29 countries and nearly 60 visiting international authors. (The last time TIBE hosted more than 500 stands was in 2019, before the pandemic; 735 exhibitors attended that event.)
TIBE is co-organized by the Taipei Book Fair Foundation, an initiative established by 18 major publishing houses back in 2004 with a rotating chairmanship that operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture. Rex How, owner of Locus Publishing House, served as its first chairman from 2005 to 2007, and is now back as chairman. For How, “TIBE offers a meeting place in Asia for publishers. This event is about the power of books and of reading, of bringing book people and book lovers together under one roof. Twenty-one years ago, we had three major goals for TIBE: promoting domestic reading, promoting international cultural exchanges, and promoting publishing expertise. We have achieved these goals and today, TIBE has evolved to become a unique book event for both the public and professional attendees.”
With bookstores holding fewer events and being mindful of their budgets and retail spaces—which means that books have fewer chances to be seen by readers—TIBE is becoming even more important than before, How said. “Now that more exhibitors are planning their own onsite events, on top of those organized by TIBE, we are hoping to draw a much bigger crowd to come here to explore and find new books to bring home to read.”
In general, the Taiwanese book market, he added, faces many of the same challenges and problems that are seen in other parts of the world: declining reading habits, competition from social media, low birthrate, and publishing issues wrought by the rise of AI. The low birthrate—the lowest in the world at 4.62 births per 1,000 people—saw only 107,812 babies added to its population of around 23.3 million in 2025. Fortunately, parents and grandparents have been spending more on books and educational materials for children over the years and that has ensured the stability of its children’s book segment.
Market Statistics in Brief
The most recent statistics indicated that in 2024, there were 4,769 registered publishing houses bringing out 54,767 new titles, of which 32,175 (or 58.75%) were print books. Translations accounted for nearly 34% of these print books. The new titles published were mostly in these five categories: test preparation titles (12.86%), humanities and history (12.6%), children’s books (11.37%), comics/graphic novels (10.84%) and fiction (8.95%). Translated titles came mostly from Japan (around 54%), the U.S. (19.3%), the U.K. (8.35%), and South Korea (8.31%) with Japanese manga, American children’s books, and British fiction being the popular genres. (In 2017, PW reported that Taiwan had around 100 active publishers offering approximately 40,000 new titles annually.)
As for rights sales to overseas markets, Taiwan is best known for its original picture books from such author-illustrators as Jimmy Liao (Sound of Colors; Where Will I Be Tomorrow?), Chen Chih-yuan (Guji Guji; The Featherless Chickens Met the Hungry Wolf), Lai Ma (I’m Breathing Fire!), and Bei Lynn (Practicing Goodbye).
Perspectives from Exhibitors
In the Italy Pavilion, Valentina Mai, editorial director of picture book publisher Kite Edizioni, was back for her second TIBE. “I wanted to meet again with contacts that I had established during my last visit,” said Mai, who has sold more than 10 titles to Taiwanese publishers in recent months. “This has been a good market for us, as are South Korea and Japan. Somehow our titles work in these smaller markets. Taiwanese publishers, for instance, share our idea that picture books are not just for children but also for adults.” Davide Cali’s Undicesimo Comandamento (The Eleventh Commandment), for instance, is about not defying Mother Nature, and is primarily aimed at adults; Cali, who has had several titles translated for the Taiwanese market, was a special guest at TIBE.
“I’m here not just to sell rights but also to look for new ideas as well as local authors and illustrators for new collaborations,” Mai said. Based on her experience selling to Taiwan, she finds that “readers here generally appreciate titles by the same author or illustrator. They like the continuation of an illustration style or the strong voice—or message—of an author.”
For Florence Pariente, founder of Ttipi Agency in France, her first TIBE had been a success. “We were very active in Taiwan in 2025—having sold around 20 titles thus far—and this is simply the right time to visit to get a deeper look at this market and establish closer ties with our publishing partners. It is a great market—not huge, but definitely growing for us.” Her agency represents around 10 publishers, mostly from France but also from Canada, the U.S., and Argentina. The size of TIBE, Pariente said, “makes the visit manageable while its smaller book market means it is easier to get the bigger picture quite quickly. The publishers here know what they want for their readers and every meeting is an enjoyable encounter for me.”
Parents and educators want stories with values, about everyday life and growing up. “They want to provide children with an understanding of life and society. They are not looking for silly and funny plots. Books on social/emotional learning such as Lidia Brankovic’s The Grand Hotel of Feelings, are very popular with my visitors,” Pariente said.
Her sentiment was shared by Jana Cieslarova, who is in charge of foreign sales at Prague-based Albatros Media. “We have sold Lenka Blaze’s Sensitive: Why the World Badly Needs Thin-Skinned Introverts to Taipei-based Heliopolis Culture Group,” Cieslarova said, adding that “this market also prefers nonfiction titles, STEM, and educational books.” Magda Gargulakova’s illustrated nonfiction title Bridges for ages nine to 12, for instance, had already been published in Taiwan.
Albatros Media is no stranger to TIBE, having attended three times before. “Taiwan and South Korea are our biggest markets right now. Vietnam is growing but their rights fees are much lower,” said export manager Tomas Jodas. “It is surprising—even to us. We still have no idea why some of our titles just work in Taiwan and not in other countries.” The team started with 25 fixed appointments prior to their arrival in Taipei and their schedule got more packed with more impromptu meetings and drop-bys during the six-day event.
Simona Ragele, who handles foreign rights at Lithuanian publishing house Flintas, was at TIBE for the first time. “The attendees and visitors to my booth are very friendly and curious about our publications, which are for two-to-seven-year-olds and are mostly educational/activity titles. I am meeting with local rights agencies as well as trying to make direct connections with local publishers. There have been many meetings but it is too early to tell if our titles will be successful here. I think we need to be at this event at least two years in a row to establish firmer relationships with locals.”
Books with interactive features such as those with flaps and tags attracted the most attention. “One title, What Do Dinosaurs Do When They’re Afraid, which deals with fears, is popular. I find that the focus is on children learning about themselves, growing their sense of awareness, and their connections with their surroundings, with each other, with nature, and within the society.”
Getting adults to read children’s books and explore these titles from different angles, such as its design and storyline, and the illustrator’s own growth is one mission at Taipei-based Bookman Books Publishing House. “Adults reading children’s picture books have their own interpretation and resonance given their own life experiences,” said owner Jerome Su. “This means that picture books are not solely for children and that there is a big potential audience out there for such titles.”
Taiwanese parents, Su said, are aware of the importance of their children learning and mastering the English language. “They encourage their kids to read for leisure and read in English. This is one reason titles by authors such as Roald Dahl and those from Scholastic are very popular here. Such awareness and encouragement are important in ensuring the next generation of readers and book lovers, and in ensuring the longevity—and prosperity—of the Taiwanese book industry.”
