Thessaloniki Book Fair turns 10
Greek and foreign book professionals are preparing to meet at the Thessaloniki Book Fair, which turns 10 this year. The annual event runs May 16-19 at the northern port city’s Helexpo Exhibition Center and is organized by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with Helexpo, the Hellenic Federation of Publishers and Booksellers and the Municipality of Thessaloniki.
The annual literary rendezvous is expected to bring together participants from about 30 countries with 200 Greek publishers and 100 local authors.
Britain is the book fair’s guest of honor for 2013, and the British Council has invited a number of UK authors to Thessaloniki, including Jonathan Coe, Victoria Hislop and David Nicholls as well as poet and Yiannis Ritsos scholar David Harsent.
The event also pays tribute to C.P. Cavafy, marking 150 years since the Alexandrine poet’s birth. Also being honored in Thessaloniki is Professor Dimitris Maronitis, singer-songwriter Dionysis Savvopoulos and playwright Akis Dimou.
The book fair will also be hosting the second edition of the Balkan Poetry Festival, a series of workshops, conferences and discussions, a children’s corner, the teenagers’ forum and a cafe, along with numerous cultural events around the city.
Opening hours are Thursday, May 16, from 3 to 9 p.m., Friday, May 17, and Sunday, May 19, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is free of charge. For more information on the fair and parallel events, visit www.thessalonikibookfair.com.
