Individual Taiwanese comics artists will make their official debut in France at the 34th Festival International de la Bande Dessinee de Chambery Oct. 15 to 17.
Selena Lin and Akru will present their work at the festival at the invitation of event organizers, the Government Information Office said, adding that the Chambery comics fair is the second largest of its kind in Europe.
“With increasing international exchange and exposure, Taiwan comics will soon be known all over Europe,” GIO Minister Johnny Chi-chen Chiang said.
Akru described her latest work, “Cafe Baihuatang,” as a collection of fantasy stories loosely based on historical events, depicting Taipei City in the 1930s under Japanese colonial rule.
“To get the architectural details accurate, I looked closely at many old Taipei photos collected by the Academia Sinica,” she added.
Lin’s works, on the other hand, are mostly love stories, and have been translated into English, Spanish, French, German, Indonesian and Vietnamese, according to event organizers.
Over 300 Taiwan-published comic books and 40 original manuscripts will be on display at the venue, according to the GIO. “Taiwan Comix,” a compilation that appeared at festivals in Angouleme, France in January and Lausanne, Switzerland in September, will also be exhibited, the agency said.
Festival organizers at both Angouleme and Chambery have shown interest in featuring Taiwan comics as a theme in their future festivals, sources said. (THN)