It promises to be one of the biggest showcases of Polish literature overseas in recent years, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
The Asian audience will get a chance to meet Polish authors, buy books by 23 Polish publishers, attend concerts and taste Polish cuisine, organisers said.
Measuring 400 square metres, the Polish stand is set to feature meetings with acclaimed writers such as Andrzej Sapkowski, the best-selling author of the The Witcher series, performances by Dagadana, a Polish-Ukrainian ensemble that blends jazz, electronica and world music, and exhibitions of children’s illustrations, the IAR news agency reported.
The choice of Poland as the exhibition’s Guest of Honour this year comes amid a surge in Chinese editions of Polish literary works, and is a tribute to Poland’s commitment to the value of national independence, reporters were told.
Given Taiwan’s geopolitical situation, its people appreciate Poland’s tradition of standing up to big powers, officials said.
The Polish stand has been co-organised by two state-run agencies, the Polish Book Institute and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, IAR reported.
‘An extraordinary meeting with Poland’
In a video message to the audience of the Taipei International Book Exhibition, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Culture Minister Piotr Gliński said the event “represents an excellent opportunity to showcase new Polish books, their authors, translators and publishers.”
He encouraged fair-goers to visit the Polish stand and "get a taste of Polish culture," adding: “I believe that such events help boost our cultural exchange.”
Meanwhile, Dariusz Jaworski, who heads the Polish Book Institute, told reporters at the opening of the show that “Poland is a fascinating country” with over a millennium of history, steeped in values such as “truth, love, faith and freedom.”
Inviting Taiwanese audiences to “an extraordinary meeting with Poland,” Jaworski said: “Poland is wherever the Polish spirit is, and the Polish spirit is enshrined in Polish literature," state news agency PAP reported.
The 2023 Taipei International Book Exhibition runs until February 5.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, instytutksiazki.pl
Radio Poland's Danuta Isler spoke to the Polish Book Institute's Agnieszka Urbanowska and Barbara Schabowska, director of the Warsaw-based Adam Mickiewicz Institute, before their departure to Taipei.
Click on the audio player above to hear the interview.