Apart from introducing New Zealand’s literature, this year’s Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE) will also demonstrate the soft power of the archipelago’s education, culture, art and lifestyle.
Designed by Andrew Patterson, who has won a “21 for 21” WAN Award from World Architecture News, the New Zealand “guest of honor” pavilion at TIBE features three giant tokotoko (Maori walking sticks) laid flat to create a semi-enclosed area. In the Maori tradition of oral literature, the tokotoko is a symbol of the right to speak. Patterson personally fashioned these tokotoko out of paper, symbolically giving a nod to the origins of publishing. Designed so that the tokotoko resemble islands at sea, the space underscores that Taiwan and New Zealand are island nations and engaging in exchange via publishing.
Kevin Chapman, the project director for the New Zealand pavilion, notes that literature is an important part of New Zealand’s national culture, but it’s not the only part. Hence, the pavilion aims to present multiple sides of New Zealand culture.
Apart from performances of Maori song and dance at the pavilion, Maori artisans will also create traditional woodcarvings there.
The space will include the booths of six educational publishers, which will feature works on early childhood education and creative education.
Children in New Zealand grow up listening to their parents read to them. The habit is an extremely important part of childhood education and one that encourages the writing and publishing of books for children. Appointed to the rank of Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012, Wendy Pye, founder of Wendy Pye Publishing, has 30 years of experience promoting bilingual education and children’s literature in Asian nations such as Korea, Singapore and mainland China. Dame Wendy will be sharing her experience with bilingual education and children’s literature as she engages with Taiwanese parents and promotes bilingual educational materials for children (including books and apps) based on the work of world-famous children’s writer Joy Cowley.
Pye will also take advantage of TIBE to negotiate with publishers to translate the works of Margaret Mahy (writer of books for children and young adults) for Taiwanese readers.
Comics buffs are in luck too. The Taipei International Book Exhibition is sponsoring an exhibition of graphic novels from Taiwan and New Zealand. Each nation will have three graphic novelists represented. The New Zealand contingent will comprise Tim Gibson, Rachel J. Fenton and the increasingly popular New Zealand overseas Chinese Ant Sang. Taiwan will be represented with Sean Chuang, 61 Chi and Ahn Zhe. In 2014, Taiwanese and New Zealand artists began to take residencies in the other nation. Works produced in those residencies will also be on display at TIBE.
Before actually traveling to New Zealand, why not first make a visit to the Taipei International Book Exhibition to gain a deeper understanding of that island nation?
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