Frankfurt: Taiwan’s pavilion at the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair opened on Thursday, showcasing works by six “featured authors” grouped under the theme of death, ghosts, and deities. German translations of the featured authors’ works are available for purchase, alongside a diverse selection of titles from Taiwanese publishers on display in the exhibition area.
According to Focus Taiwan, poet Wu Huai-chen said his writing draws inspiration from indigenous legends about bears, wind, and water that have been passed down through his family for generations. Crime novelist Katniss Hsiao, who debuted in Germany in 2024 with “Before We Were Monsters,” described ghosts as “a reflection of the human mind.”
The four other authors highlighted in Frankfurt are Taiwanese Hokkien writer Ou Tiong-siong, novelist Kevin Chen, BL (Boys’ Love) writer Shi Wu, and manga artist Nownow. This group of writers brings a “wide spectrum” of genres to the fair, said Taipei Book Fair Foundation Chairman Rex How.
The exhibit sparked discussion among visitors about the cultural meaning of spirits in Asia and beyond. Indian author Sunandan said that in Asian traditions, ghosts symbolize the coexistence of the human and spiritual worlds rather than serving solely to evoke fear. In his native Bengali, the word “bhut” means both “ghost” and “past,” showing how spirituality is linked to human memory, Sunandan said.
Mexican publisher Ulises Bentez, who lives in Taiwan, observed that Taiwanese society is growing more open about death and spirituality, noting that in Mexican culture, death is embraced as part of life and celebrated through the Day of the Dead. The 77th Frankfurt Book Fair brings together more than 1,000 authors and publishers from 92 countries and runs until Sunday.
