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Kaohsiung Reading Festival Presents International Speech from Japanese Author Ito Ogawa: Her First Visit to Kaohsiung and the Heartwarming Moments of Everyday Life
Date:2024-12-09
:多元文化部
Japanese author Ito Ogawa's first visit to Kaohsiung and the Kaohsiung Public Library.
Japanese author Ito Ogawa's first visit to Kaohsiung and the Kaohsiung Public Library.
 Ito Ogawa presented her speech with the topic “The Daily Life of a Self-Healing Books Author: Ito Ogawa’s Rules for Writing and a Happy Life” at the Kaohsiung Main Public Library’s auditorium.
Ito Ogawa presented her speech with the topic “The Daily Life of a Self-Healing Books Author: Ito Ogawa’s Rules for Writing and a Happy Life” at the Kaohsiung Main Public Library’s auditorium.

【Kaohsiung】Words are powerful indeed! This year, the “2024 Kaohsiung Reading Festival” invited Japanese author Ito Ogawa and Korean manhwa artist Gyung-Ho Kang to meet with readers at Kaohsiung as speakers of the Kaohsiung Reading Festival. On November 10, Ito Ogawa arrived at the Kaohsiung Main Public Library with Asako Kimiwada, an editor from Gentosha Literary Publications. At the auditorium, she presented a speech titled “The Daily Life of a Self-Healing Books Author: Ito Ogawa’s Rules for Writing and a Happy Life.” No seat was left empty during the event.

 

Not only is Ito Ogawa the first international speaker at this year’s Kaohsiung Reading Festival, but this is also her first visit to Kaohsiung and meeting with the city's readers. As the speech commenced, a gentle atmosphere settled among the audience. Ito Ogawa’s speech was a testament to the power of written narratives and the warmth they could bring into the hearts of human beings.

 

According to Director-General Wen-Tsui Wang of the Bureau of Cultural Affairs, as part of the Kaohsiung Public Library’s (KPL) effort to strengthen international exchanges, lectures featuring international speakers can provide readers with opportunities to learn about the creative process and perspectives of overseas authors. The first Kaohsiung Reading Festival featured Japanese authors, Rika Eguchi and Toshikazu Kawaguchi, while the second hosted Korean author Cho-Yup Kim, who shared about writing works in the science fiction genre. To this day, international speeches remain one of the most well-received activities of the Kaohsiung Reading Festival.

 

This year, the international speeches of the Kaohsiung Reading Festival feature two guests from Japan and Korea. Both guests are creators, but while Ito Ogawa is an author, Gyung-Ho Kang is a manhwa artist. Their speeches on their daily lives and different cultural and historical backgrounds will broaden the audience’s international perspectives and bring the Kaohsiung Reading Festival’s international speeches to a whole new level. Director-General Wang urged citizens who missed out on Ito Ogawa’s November 10 speech to register for the following international speech on November 16 quickly.

 

On November 10, the international speech began with a conversation between Ito Ogawa and Taiwanese author Dato. As the event host, Dato excitedly welcomed Ito Ogawa on her first visit to Kaohsiung. In one of her books, The Lion’s Snack, Ito Ogawa wrote about Taiwanese tofu pudding. However, while writing the book, she had never tasted the dessert. Be that as it may, she felt that the delicate texture of tofu pudding was the best fit to describe the feeling of happiness that she wanted to write about.

 

With her visit to Kaohsiung, Ito Ogawa has finally fulfilled her dream of trying Taiwanese tofu pudding. Food has always been a crucial element in Ito Ogawa’s novels, linking its characters to memories and feelings in their lives. For most, desserts, such as tofu budding, canelé, or botamochi, often signify moments of happiness. Ito Ogawa’s writings bring these deserts to life, the endings of which represent the “climax” of their existence. For such reasons, The Lion’s Snack has become Ito Ogawa’s masterpiece.

 

During her speech, Ito Ogawa explained the role of food in building human relationships. When two people eat together, they create a shared memory. A shared memory establishes a connection and becomes a shared history between the two. For Ito Ogawa, food does not only nurture human bodies but also our hearts. She hoped that her works, whether it be The Lion’s Snack, Escargot Cafeteria, or Tsubaki Stationery Store, have successfully conveyed the nuances of humanity and promised to write more stories that would warm the hearts of her readers.

 

Ito Ogawa’s life philosophy begins with the simplicities of everyday life, such as a set of knife and fork, an iron teapot, a dog, or the gentle light of a lamp. These small items are enough to bring her joy and satisfaction.

 

Director Chin-Yang Lee of the Kaohsiung Public Library (KPL) expressed her joy at Ito Ogawa’s first visit to Taiwan and her speech at the Kaohsiung Public Library. Ito Ogawa is a renowned Japanese author of self-healing books, but her work goes beyond writing. She is an author, translator, and lyricist. Her work, Escargot Cafeteria, is a record-breaking bestseller. Ito Ogawa’s heartwarming and comforting writing style is the ultimate characteristic that drew countless readers to her works.

 

Ito Ogawa shared many of her unique creative perspectives as an author during her speech. She spoke of the power of written narratives to change a person’s perspectives and draw their attention to the wonderful subtleties in life. Her discussions with Dato, a famous new-generation Taiwanese author and podcaster, guided readers in understanding the many layers of her life, creative work, and experiences and how she transformed such experiences into written works for her readers.

 

The “2024 Kaohsiung Reading Festival” features many engaging activities, including speeches from charismatic speakers, international speeches, and special programs. Registration for these activities is still open. According to KPL, famous authors of various sectors have been invited to discuss reading and their creative process on Fridays and the weekends. Citizens can also visit the four major exhibitions at the Kaohsiung Main Public Library.

 

For more detailed information, please visit the “2024 Kaohsiung Reading Festival” official website at https://2024libkrf.ksml.edu.tw/.

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Updated2024-12-16 AM 08:58:43
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