Taipei book fair to focus on Bhutan
By DPA, IANSSunday, February 6, 2011
TAIPEI - The 19th Taipei International Book Exhibition will
open Wednesday with a focus on Bhutan, “the world’s happiest country,” organizers said Sunday.
“We chose the Himalayan kingdom as the theme country because the emphasis of this year’s book fair is on happy reading,” fair foundation spokesman Liu Chieh-fei said.
“A dozen Bhutan writers, publishers and tourism officials will participate in the fair and attend a seminar on Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness index,” she said.
Jigme Singye Wangchuk, former king of Bhutan, coined the term in 1972 to contrast with gross national product and show his commitment to preserving Bhutan’s unique culture while developing the economy.
The six-day event will draw some 800 publishers from 58 countries.
