Department of Cultural Affairs

💀 (“I’m dead”, i.e. That’s very funny)

👀 (sceptical) 

🚩 (red flag = warning sign)

As social media use explodes, emoji conversations are all the rage. Do you know how to communicate with emojis too?

Interpersonal communication is now faster than ever. We send greetings via messages and video calls and express opinions and emotions via social media posts and stories. 

Whether it’s words, emojis, stickers, or voice notes, technology has overcome physical distance, allowing us to send and receive messages instantly. But does that mean we’re actually getting closer?

The theme of the 2025 Taipei Literature Festival is “spiritual distance” (靈距離), and readers are invited to re-explore the essence of communication. From March to June, a wide array of literary lectures, exhibitions, and creative workshops will be held at major arts and cultural venues across Taipei. Literature enthusiasts are invited to join the conversation on communication and explore how literature can serve as a bridge, drawing us closer to one another.

Spiritual Distance Events

In addition to the Spiritual Distance series, the Taipei Literature Festival will feature creative workshops, exclusive lectures for students, a special exhibition at Bopiliao Historical Block in April, a visit from international Chinese author Ling Zhang in May, and the Taipei Literature Film Festival curated by SPOT-Taipei.

Every year from March to June, from early spring to early summer, literature manifests in various forms across Taipei. It is woven into everyday life—a sincere and beautiful presence within the ordinary.

“Spiritual Encounters” (靈魂觸碰) explores the essence of communication and human relationships through dialogues, seminars, play readings, and culinary experiences. This series features interdisciplinary conversations between literary creators and experts such as: neuroscientist Po-jang Hsieh and writer Iris Lee discussing gender stereotypes; counseling psychologist Haitaibear and writer Ma Hsin engaging in soulful dialogues; and journalist-writer Tung-hao Li joining YouTuber NaNa Master to explore “The Art of Interviewing” (訪問的藝術).

“Vocabulary Generation” (語彙生成) will investigate the future of literary creation in the context of AI, social media, and non-traditional sci-fi through technological tools. Tetsuya Terao and Ethan Tu, founder of Taiwan AI Labs, will discuss AI tools like ChatGPT; writer Ayri Chang and YouTuber Froggy Chiu will examine the impact of social platforms; and writer Chong-kai Huang and Tzu-ying Hung will dive into the world of unconventional science fiction.

Beyond Words, Between Lines

The literary exhibition “Beyond Words, Between Lines” will open in mid-April and will be curated by writer I-hui Hsiao (iifays). Through the lens of language, it explores how in today’s world subconscious cues and unspoken rules shaped by information overload affect the distance between people and how they understand each other. Visitors will step into a maze of expression formed by words and extralinguistic symbols and use tools jointly created by various authors to decode the true meaning behind each message.

Ask Books for Answers (解答知書)

From late March to mid-April, Taipei Public Library branches will host “Ask the Books for Answers” (解答知書), where participants will use books to resolve life’s dilemmas in spontaneous, serendipitous ways. Through literature, discover new perspectives and solutions in everyday life.

Ling Zhang

This year, we are honored to welcome acclaimed writer Ling Zhang, who was born in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, and now resides in Toronto, Canada. Renowned for portraying the quiet resilience of women and bearing witness to the enduring suffering of humanity, 

Zhang is considered one of the most iconic Chinese-language writers living overseas today. Her internationally celebrated works include Gold Mountain Blues and A Single Swallow. Her novella The Aftershock was adapted into the film Aftershock, which moved audiences with its powerful storytelling and went on to win Best Film at the Asia Pacific Film Festival.

The Taipei Literature Festival has curated three different talks featuring Zhang, delving into her writing and exploring the perspective of an author who has lived abroad for many years yet continues to garner praise across mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Through conversations with renowned contemporary writers and university students, we hope to offer readers a fresh and thought-provoking perspective.

The Poetics of the Soul (靈魂的詩意)

This year’s Taipei Literature Film Festival pays tribute to two towering figures in contemporary storytelling: American author Paul Auster and Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden. 

One uses literature to explore urban existentialism and the desolation of modern life, while the other uses cinema to construct spiritual and humanistic dialogues set on the Tibetan Plateau, but the works of these authors/auteurs open windows into vastly different but profoundly connected worlds. 

The Taipei Literature Film Festival is more than a celebration of literature and film; it is a cultural feast and a journey of introspection. As you take part in the festival, we invite you to discover storytelling’s power to elevate the spirit and inspire deeper reflection on life.

In today’s world, where digital messages have become primary vessels of emotion and connection, if communication is truly a dialogue between souls—face-to-face or online—then let us embark on a spiritual dialogue.