

Date |
Event |
| 2010-07-21 | The 21st Hong Kong Book Fair opened in the 21st. It is held for 7 days at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, with participation of a total of more than 500 publishing houses from 20 countries and regions, and 90 important writers. Taiwan is expected to exhibit nearly 20,000 kinds of books, and the Taiwan government has also displayed a number of publications and e-books. Hong Kong Book Fair was founded in 1990. It was criticized as book market, and works hard on restructuring in recent years. Many Chinese writers cross-strait are invited to give talks; and Hong Kong Book Fair make efforts toward international development. This year, for the first time, three British writers are invited to participate in the book fair. In addition, it first set up "E-books and Digital Publishing Zone" to respond to the digital era |
| 2010-07-21 | On 21st, The first “Golden Comic Award” by GIO announced of 8 finalists, and also announced that cartoonist Liu Xing Qin won the "Lifetime Achievement Award" for his many years’ contribution to comics.
Liu’s famous comics “Auntie”, “Ah-San”, and “Robot”, all have positive educational value to educate children with heart-touching plot and his works have accompanied many people in their 30s to 50s when they grew up. |
| 2010-07-16 | The family of late British author Adrian Jacobs sued "Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire" for allegedly copying Jacobs’s 1997 novel "The Adventures of Willy The Wizard.” The Estate of Adrian Jacobs has filed suit to London Court against "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling and the British Press last year and early this year, and then again recently filed suit against Scholastic, Inc., the U.S. publisher of the Harry Potter books on the 14th to the New York federal court for infringement of copyright. However, Rowling stressed that she never heard or read the book, completely denied the plagiarism. |
| 2010-07-11 | Doris Brougham, founder of the English-learning magazine company Studio Classroom, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 Asian Publishing Awards presentation ceremony held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietman, with judges praising her career achievements as an educator, missionary, publisher, editor, philanthropist and even as a musician and her outstanding contribution to social care and life education and her far-reaching implications to the global Chinese community.
Upon accepting the award, Brougham said “The publishing world has always had a major influence on people ...through reading, people can change their lives.” “If we can use the media to teach, inform and guide people, the world will be a better place for us all,” she added. |
| 2010-07-08 | Wang Dengfeng, Director of Department of Language Planning and Administration, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, said at the “Forum of Cross-Strait Cooperation in Cultural and Creative Industries” on 8th that Taiwan National Cultural Association and the mainland Modernization of Chinese Language Society have reached an agreement to work together to compile the “Chinese Language Dictionary”, the first publication of common dictionary of common words used cross-strait by the end of next year. The “Cross-Strait Common Words Dictionary” to be published by end of next year is expected to include a total of 25,000 words, which are frequently used cross-strait. The second medium-sized dictionary is planed to be published in 2014. It will include more than 80,000 entries. In addition to include everyday language usage, it will cover frequently used scientific terms in primary and secondary schools. |
| 2010-06-22 | Qi Deng Sheng won the National Award of Arts
71-year old Qi Deng Sheng is awarded the National Arts Award. Many publishers believe that the Qi Deng Sheng is not only qualified for recognition of National Arts Awards, but also for the level of the Nobel Prize. However, recently undergoing treatment of laryngeal cancer Qi Deng Sheng said, because talking is not convenient for him, so he will give acceptance speech in particular.
Chen Fang-ming, director of Graduate Institute of Taiwanese Literature, National Chengchi University, said: "Taiwan literature building its own vocabulary of modernism began from Qi Dengsheng." Writers Jiji said: "Qi Deng Sheng writes with unique style. His uniqueness comes from his of thinking of life and his sympathy for the people at the bottom of the society." Qi Deng Sheng said he will quit writing when "Complete Works of Qi Deng Sheng" published in 2003. He once said “After writing for more than 40 years, I have come to an end of thinking about this world. And now I can draw up under full stop.” |
| 2010-06-20 | Jose Saramago, the Portuguese writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1998, died because of multiple organ failure on Friday at his home in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. He was 87.
Portuguese Government declared the 19 and 20 June of mourning. Saramago's funeral was held in Lisbon on noon on 20 June 2010. Saramgao’s 1982 novel Baltasar and Blimunda was described as his most successful work. And it is considered the masterpiece of modern Portuguese literature. Since the 1980s, Saramago has been the best-selling contemporary writer in Portugal, and his works have been translated into more the 20 languages. |
| 2010-06-19 | The novel copyright trading between Taiwan and the mainland China became more frequent. In the past, the mainland China published many Taiwan's popular publications, now China also targets Taiwan’s best-selling novel, for example, works of Giddens and Yu Sulan sell very good in China. Copyright trading of both sides can also be helpful to exchange of cross-strait publishing.
However, during the contact and licensing process of cross-strait publication, sometimes some problems will come up, such as: differences in the calculation of royalties, or incomplete contract in advance and so on. Taiwan local publishers should fully understand China publishers’ background and wind comments and undergo a careful assessment before deciding whether to cooperate with publishers in China. |
| 2010-06-03 | "2010 Forum on Cross-Strait Cultural and Creative Top-Notch Academic Excellence Seminars" hosted by National Taipei University of Education, held "Cross-Strait Cultural and Creative Forum" on 4 and 5 June, with the participation of scholars and experts from both sides of strait exchanges, and on 6 June presenting papers in hope of using the seminars to promote industry-academia cooperation, and create a win-win situation for cross-strait cultural and creative industry.
Presenting papers on June 6 is divided into 10 topics for discussion, namely policies and regulations, innovation and design, management, marketing strategy, human resources, consumer behavior, industry-academia cooperation, case studies, theoretical discussion, and related issues. |
| 2010-06-03 | Wang Yamin, Vice President of Beijing Palace Museum hope to cooperate with National Palace Museum in Taiwan to publish the complete works of Sung dynasty calligrapher, Mi Fu, as Mi Fu's calligraphy works have been collected in both Palace Museum.
Beijing Palace Museum hope to use the way to put both National Palace Museum in Taipei and Beijing Palace Museum on cover of co-published "Gems of National Treasures" in 1992 to avoid the issue of country names. However, the National Palace Museum in Taipei does not agree with this approach. It was reported that the National Palace Museum in Taipei promised to cooperate with the premise of anonymity. The complete collection of Mi Fu may be published with only the author’s name. |
| 2010-05-24 | Book Expo America, BEA , one of the world's four major book fairs with histoy over 100 years, was held at Jacob K. Javits Center in New York on May 25th. The Association of Creative Economy Taiwan (ACE) which is established in this year participated for the first time.
BEA was founded in 1900, with nearly 1,700 publishers from 32 countries, expanded from the printed to digital publishing. This year, BAE will launch e-book area, plan more than 60 seminars and academic forums, and arrange meetings for buyers and customers and copyright trading zone, so the BEA can become the best trading platform for publishers, retailers and copyright agents. |
| 2010-05-15 | In order to promote the exchange of cultural and creative industries of both sides, National Taiwan Normal University today held a "Global Chinese Cultural and Creative Forum" and invited scholars who promote cultural and creative industries to discuss and exchange ideas on cross-strait cultural and creative industry cooperation.
With cross-strait cultural and creative industries become giants of economic development; "Cross-Strait Cultural and Creative Industries Research Alliance" was founded on November 5th last year by six universities of both sides to form a platform of cross-strait cultural and creative industry development.
"Cross-Strait Cultural and Creative Industries Research Alliance" was co-founded by The National Normal University, National Taiwan University of Arts, National Cheng Kung University, Communication University of China, Xiamen University and Tongji Univeristy. It welcomes universities from both sides of strait to join in. |
| 2010-05-13 | Council for Cultural Affairs held the launch ceremony of "Cultural & Creative Industries Project Office” and “Cultural and Creative Express Train" start from Taipei activities at the Huashan Culture Park on May 12th. Apart from the introduction of cultural and creative policy information, important figures from relevant academy and industry are invited to give lectures on cultural and creative business management, financing and loans, venture capital and financial planning. To carry out "Creative Taiwan—Cultural and Creative Industry Development Project" and the related flagship project administrative work, the Council recently set up a single dedicated unit—"Cultural and Creative Industries Project Office" to promote cultural and creative industries, which is responsible for coordinating resources of related public and private sector, and supporting 15 large cultural and creative industries with physical actions. |
| 2010-05-13 | "2010 China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industry Fair" will be held from May 14 to 17. It will expand the exhibition. In addition to 5-fold expansion of participation, the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center will set up "Taiwan Cultural and Creative Fine Arts & Crafts Hall ". The exhibition has received enthusiastic response and participation from 62 Taiwan’s cultural and creative industries. And the number of exhibitors increased 5 times compared with last year.
This year's exhibition includes 5 major areas: "Quality Brand Hall", "Fine Crafts Hall", "Food & Living Hall", "Design & Fashion Hall" and "LOHAS & Home Hall". The whole concept of building is based on blue and white porcelain. It is meant to demonstrate the integration and innovation of Chinese culture and Taiwan’s spirit and show the world the cultural and creative innovation in Taiwan through ICIF. |
| 2010-05-05 | Taiwan society has entered the era of low birth rate, which also affects children's books market trend. Children books’ publication began to move toward the refined tendency.
Although some of the publishers think the situation of low birth rate will lead to shrink of children's books market, but can one see sales growth of children's books from the sales of books.com.tw. Therefore, how to get new ideas and find new direction is the real development strategy of children's books market. |
| 2010-04-28 | With Recent frequent cross-strait exchanges, the libraries also start to collect simplified Chinese publications. Taipei Public Library purchased 1,652 simplified Chinese books from mainland China. Those books cost about NTD$40,000, accounting for 0.09% of the total Chinese book purchase, a ten-time growth compared with five years ago. The classic children's books purchased from China as special project last year not only provide another reading choice to children in Taipei City, but also allow adult writers and literature educators have a exchange channel to observe and emulate. Next, local libraries of Yilan County, Taipei County and others, also purchased the books recommended by scholars in recent years, especially literary, drama, and art books. |
| 2010-04-27 | Director of General Administration of Press and Publication of the People’s Republic of China Liu Binjie, said that output value of China's digital publishing industry has exceeded the traditional publishing industry with growth up to 50% early in 2009 on the "World Intellectual Property Day". Digital technology and Internet technology are widely used in China’s publishing industry. It is extimated that e-book readers and other mobile reading devices will exceed 5 million units, plus 370 million electronic school bags of Chinese students. This will be historical development opportunities the China’s publishing industry facing today. |
| 2010-04-17 | "Summit of Chinese Literature in the 21st Century" which called nearly 40 writers from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to attended, was launched in the 16th at College of Liberal Arts, National Taiwan University. The participating writers include Mainland China writers Yan Lianke, Wang Meng, Liu Zaifu, Hong Kong scholars Lee Ou-fan, Cheng Pei-kai, Taiwan's writers Chen Ruoxi, Ya Hsien, Ma Sen and others. The discussions covered poetry, fictions, and dramas. The Summit will tour to the National Chung Hsing University on 18th, National Cheng Kung University on 20th, then to National Dong Hwa University on 22nd. Nobel laureate Gao Xingjian will also come to Taiwan to attend the summit with his new book, "On the Drama". |
| 2010-04-16 | The Acting chief editor of People’s Publishing House, Xin Guangwei, was invited to Taiwan by Book Publishing Industry Association to give speech on April 12th about the significant changes that publishing industry in China has undergone in recent years and analysis of the development trend of Chinese-language publishing industry. In addition, Xin Guangwei’s book “Publishing in China” which was published in English in 2005, is recently published as "Chinese-language Publishing Industry in the World" in Taiwan, and the launch ceremony was held. At this trip, Xin Guangwei also represented the People's Publishing House and signed a 5-year strategic cooperation agreement with Yuan-Liou Publishing Co., Ltd. on the 16th. Both parties will cooperate closely in copyright, digital publishing, outward development, information sharing and product promotion. |
| 2010-04-15 | Shanghai's first 24-hour self-service library was launched in the Lujiazui Financial City. It provides most functions of a small physical library. It is composed of self-service machine, logistics system, central service system and monitoring system and can store 400 books. The 300,000-volume collection of Lujiazui Library is a powerful resource support. The reader can send reserve request through inquiry system of self-service machine to the central service system, and books will be sent to the appointed place within 2 days. To cooperate with the Expo, Lujiazui library will also launch many "24-hour Lujiazui Library," so the public libraries will truly become the library at everyone’ doorway. |
| 2010-03-17 | The Electronic Book Publishers Association of Japan launched with 31 famous publishers including Kodansha Ltd., Shinchosha Publishing Co. and Shogakukan Inc. will be formally established on March 24th. Vice President of Kodansha Yoshinobu Noma was named head of the new association. With the growing popularity of e-book readers, electronic book market is widening, and The Electronic Book Publishers Association of Japan declared that 2010 will be "E-book Year One" for publishing industry in Japan. The establishment of the association is to ensure the leading role of the growing e-book market, and to create a contact platform to discuss the format for electronic book data, and work as negotiator of copyrights between authors and on-line e-book sellers. |
| 2010-03-10 | The annual East China Children's Books Fair was held in Hangzhou. It was renamed East China Children's Publishing Commonwealth Marketing Summit this year, and raised the "China's First Children's Books Alliance" banner. Mainland media reported that the East Children's Publishing Commonwealth hoped after renaming, it can expand the existing order function, create a harmonious industrial chain and close relationship between stores and agencies through the new platform, so that the book industry can achieve interaction from upstream to downstream, share values, and work for development. The forum of this summit focuses on discussions of China's publishing industry. Sun Qingguo, Cheng Sanguo, Shen Yongyao, Wei Gangqiang, Zheng Zhong and other experts discussed issues about how the upstream and downstream can cobuild industrial ecology. Aiming current book publishing and retail market situation in China, participants called for more publishers and distributors to hold their ground and stick to their ideals to promote a healthy concept of book consumption and new book business culture. East China Children's Publishing Commonwealth also invited 12 book retailers around the country such as Shanghai Bookstore, Anhui Bookstore and Jinan Xinhua Bookstore to hold a strategy signing ceremony, hoping to form joint efforts for marketing, media campaigns and mutual benefit to further consolidate and strengthen market share and community influence of 6 children's books publishers in east China. |
| 2010-03-09 | Japan's Mobile Communications Corporation NTT announced that its subsidiary will cooperate with three publishers to launch comic magazines for mobile phone business in this month. The magazine will rely on the authors of existing comics serialized in traditional comic magazines to create new works and send to mobile phone users every week or every other week. Mobile comic magazine publishers are Solmare, a subsidiary of NTT in Osaka and Shonen-gahosha Co.,Ltd., Takeshobo, and Maggarden Press in Tokyo. Each author that has works serialized with those publishers will create 14 new works for mobile phone users of NTT - Docomo , KDDI, and Softbank three companies. Each piece will charge 40 yen. Once purchased, the work can be viewed on mobile phone for a year. Users can also purchase the works have been issued anytime. |
| 2010-03-08 | The President of China Publishing Group Niezhen Ning said in an interview with the mainland's media that the group has already started preparatory work for listing and is scheduled for full listing at A share market at the end of the year. Approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China in April 2002, 12 publishing houses including the People's Literature Publishing House and the Commercial Press detached from the original government departments to establish the China Publishing Group. And in March 2004 it transformed into "China Publishing Group Corporation" in order to focus on publishing and retailing. At present, China Publishing Group has over 70 subsidiaries, holding companies, joint ventures, 29 various publishers of books and audio-visual material, 44 journals, and 3 newspapers. It also owns 220 chain bookstores, overseas chain bookstores and 23 overseas offices. |
| 2010-03-03 | Scientific Monthly and the National Central Library launched "Year of Reading in Popular Science." They recommended 100 popular science books according to 8 major categories such as mathematics, astronomy, etc and 3 degrees of primary school, secondary schools and university. These books and DVDs of follow-up lectures will be displayed in the National Central Library, and played through NCL "E-Learning Campus". April 23rd is the "World Book Day". Science Monthly will hold events and hope that all leaders from different areas can take the lead in reading and sharing a good popular science book. The introduction of 100 books recommended Science Monthly can be found on the "Promotion of Popular Science Reading Blog": http://reader.lib.ntnu.edu.tw. |
| 2010-02-25 | The book "Shi Jing" (the Book of Songs), which also won the "Most Beautiful Book in China" in 2009, won the title of the 2010 "Most Beautiful Book in the World" at the annual "Most Beautiful Book in the World" competition recently concluded in Leipzig, Germany. The "Most Beautiful Book in the World" contest is annually held in Leipzig, Germany. There are altogether 634 kinds of books from 32 countries and regions around the world are sent to participate this year's competition. "Shi Jing" is a major source of Chinese literature and has been respected by the ancient scholars for more than two thousand years. It has become a part of the Chinese civilization. |
| 2010-02-25 | The Reader's Digest Association, Inc ("RDA") announced that it has successfully completed its financial restructuring and has emerged from bankruptcy protection proceedings. RDA reduced its debt by 75%. Holders of RDA's senior secured debt will receive equity. After the completion of financial restructuring, RDA will gradually step away from the traditional digest-type journal business model. Reader's Digest was once the world's best-selling magazine. Its circulation and advertisement declined sharply in recent years due to impact of internet and other new media. RDA's debt has reached 2.2 billion US dollars when it announced entering bankruptcy protection proceedings in mid-August last year. Reader's Digest also try to reduce it's circulation from 8 million reduced to 5.5 million, with annual serial number from 12 down to 10 to try to reduce the financial stress situation before filing for bankruptcy protection. It is said that before RDA filed for bankruptcy to help itself, it reached restructuring agreement with the majority of creditors to exchange a large number of debt into shares. The major shareholder, Ripplewood Holdings LLC, made concession of partial operation right to group of lenders to exchange for the possibility of survival of RDA. At the same time, RDA made a number of initiatives to strengthen the company, including building its own digital database "E-Library" to integrate and classify all copyrights of group's magazines, books and audiovisual materials in order for internal reference and use worldwide. |
| 2010-02-23 | In order to encourage local cartoonist to create and study, National Central Library launches a "Comics House" at Arts and Audiovisual Center today (23). "Comics House" has a total of more than 10,000 comic books, and award-winning audio-visual and multimedia materials. While the variety of comics is less than the average comics shop, or the Taipei Public Library, but the Comics House has title searching, graphic design software and other related services to highlight the features of comic books from different countries. It is hoped that more fans of comics can find inspiration here to create original comic characters of Taiwan in the future. |
| 2010-02-07 | Hon Hai Group Chairman, Terry Gou, said yesterday at a charity carnival held by the Yong Lin Charity Foundation that he made a donation of NT$300 million to Yong Lin Hope elementary schools to promote digital learning and expand the school. It is expected to see the result of e-book program in September. Terry Gou said that most Hope elementary schools are in remote areas and lack of information; therefore they need e-books more than urban students. He hoped this donation will help to promote e-book digital learning, to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas. Currently 60% of the world's e-books are manufactured by Hon Hai Group. Terry Gou is confident that the e-books he donated are world-class products. He also hopes that all cities can promote e-book program as soon as possible, so that children in Taiwan can have international competitiveness. Hon Hai Group and Yong Lin Foundation will cooperate with school teachers and the Ministry of Education to launch richer digital content. |
| 2010-02-02 | Taipei International Book Exhibition 2010 concluded successful on Feb 01. A total of 883 domestic and foreign publishers with 1803 booths participated the biggest even of publishing and culture. It drew record-breaking 520,000 visitors in sex days. Tsai-chueh Lin, chairman of the Taipei Book Fair Foundation said that TIBE have developed "international communication", "professional publication", "Reading Life" multi-functional features. The reason that TIBE can reach grander scale is because it insisted these three features. The chairman handover ceremony was held at the closing press conference. Mr. Jung-Weg Wang, chairman of Yuan-Liou Publishing Co., Ltd, will be the new chairman of Taipei Book Fair Foundation. Government Information Office Minister Su Jun-pin also attended the closing ceremony and said that TIBE has become the most lively and biggest culture event in Asia. |
| 2010-01-28 | The winners of 29th National Cultural Award were announced. 96-year-old calligrapher Kuang-Pin Chang, famous writer Chun-Ming Hwang and "Father of Modern Taiwan Block Prints," Shiou-Ping Liao are all winners. Each one will be awarded NT$ 1 million. Chun-Ming Hwang and Shiou-Ping Liao both won the National Arts Award together more than 10 years ago, and again both won the National Cultural Award together this time, so they called each other "classmate" happily. Kuang-Pin Chang, known as the "living dictionary of history of calligraphy and painting of the Yuan Dynasty", said he followed his dream all of his life and the most meaningful thing in life is to follow one's dream. In recent years, he spare no effort in promoting calligraphy. Council for Cultural Affairs will use the whole year to honor contributions of the three winners through documentaries, seminars and other forms. |
| 2010-01-27 | 2010 Taipei International Book Exhibition is held from January 27th to February 1st at World Trade Center, Hall 1, 2 and 3 for six days. France will be the Guest of Honor at TIBE 2010. This year's book fair showed outstanding achievements in the international cultural exchanges. There are exhibitors from 58 countries which is a brilliant record. There are 883 publishers participate this year's TIBE with display of more than one million books. Among all exhibitors, 376 are domestic publishers, and 507 are foreign. The performance of international zone is remarkable. 120 US publishers bring the nation's 500 best-selling books for show. 55 Japanese publishers display Japanese contemporary fiction, crafts and other useful books. 12 South Korea publishers present Korean features and invite play writers to Taiwan to give lectures. 35 publishers from 14 countries in Africa arrange grand exhibition in international zone at Hall 1. |
| 2010-01-20 | The semiannual selection of Akutagawa Prize and the Naoki Prize has always been a major event of Japan's literary circle. The committee, however, did not select a winner of the Akutagawa Prize on the 14th, making the Japanese literary circle and the media outcry, because it is the first time no prize awarded since the 121st selection in 1999. The 142nd Naoki Prize, Japan's prestigious literary award for popular literature, was given to Joh Sasaki and Kazufumi Shiraishi. Juror Natsuki Ikezawa said the reason that the jurors found no winner for this session of Akutagawa Prize is "a lack of love from the nominated works, this is precisely the premise of writing fiction." |
| 2010-01-20 | Beijing Disanji Book Limited Company issues mobile phone text message on the 18th to announce the company's decision to cease operation on January 20, 2010. Many menebers felt surprised when received this message and there are rumors in the industry. The staff of the company confirmed this matter, but had no certain answer to whether what the company said "we will notice when and where to open" means its re-opening at another location. Mainland media reported that this huge bookstore experience a series events of grand opening, price war, relocating, to current closure within a short three and a half years. Iits management staff also changed several times. By the end of last November, Guan Po, general manager of Disanji at that time, and other senior managers left. In October, Disanji Bookstore once known as Beijing's largest bookstore quietly moved away from the old site to the basement floor of Haohai Building, that is, location of origin Guo Lin Feng bookstore. |
| 2010-01-12 | Eight non-professional children books publishing houses in Mainland China established "The Chinese Children's Books Alliance" in Beijing to join hands to promote children's books' publishing and reading. There are 512 children's book publishers in China. Publications of 34 professional children's books publishers account for about 30% market share. Publications of non-professional children's books publishers hold about 70% market share. In order to promote publishing and reading of children's books, The Publishers Association of China decided to establish two platforms, one is for professional children's books publishers and one is for non-professional children's books publishers. In the future, in addition to realize the functions of professional children's books publishing platform, the alliance will hold the Chinese Children's Books Alliance Book Fair once a year, as well as children's book awards. The alliance will also hold seminars to exchange opinions on publication reform, management, development of topics, book quality, team-building, and social issues, and actively promote international cooperation and exchanges of children's books publishing industry. |


