Those under the age of 18 will get free admission to next year’s Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE). That’s the word from the event organizer on Monday.
Taiwan will be the first Asian country to do so, following in the footsteps of the Paris Book Fair and the Buenos Aires Children’s Book Fair.
Culture ministry official Wang Shu-fang spoke on the plan.
“To encourage the public to read more, those under 18 will be allowed to visit the [book fair] free of charge for the first time, starting next year," said Wang. "Students over 18 will pay a [discounted] admission ticket of 50 Taiwan dollars. We hope to encourage more young students to visit the book fair and do some in-depth reading.”
Next year’s Taipei International Book Exhibition will feature New Zealand. Writers, illustrators and publishers from New Zealand will lead a delegation to Taiwan, including its renowned author Lloyd Jones. The exhibit is scheduled to be held from February 11 to 16.