Taipei, Feb. 6 (CNA) Australia will feature children's literature -- a proud tradition of the Australian publishing business -- at the Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE), a top representative of the Australian Commerce and Industry Office (ACIO) said at a press conference Monday.
Known for winning global success in its children's literature, Australia hopes to win a place in the hearts of Taiwanese children and adults alike through the display of its picture books and illustrations at the TIBE, which will be held in the Taipei World Trade Center from Feb. 7-12, ACIO top representative Steve Waters said.
Australia and Vietnam will be the only first-timers among the 41 countries that are participating in the annual event, the largest bookfair in Asia.
Among the 22 participating writers and illustrators are Alison Lester, who has been writing and illustrating children's books for 25 years, and Ron Brooks, a three-time winner of the Children's Book Council of Australia's Picture Book of the Year award.
"Australia has a strong educational link to Taiwan," said Waters, adding that a third of overseas Taiwanese students study in Australia. It's part of the reason why Taiwan will be a special market for Australia's publishers, he noted.
Australia is a land of contrast -- bustling cities, cultivated farmland, desert, snowy mountains and beautiful beaches, Waters said. Its children's literature reflects the contrasts and multicultural background of Australia, where illustrators and writers get their inspiration and creativity. And Australia hopes to share all of that with Taiwanese readers.
This will be the second stop for Australian publishers in Asia since they attended the 2005 Expo in Aichi, Japan last year.