Scripta 2004 international book fair opens today in Thessaloniki
Scripta 2004, a new international book fair, opens this evening in Thessaloniki and will run to Sunday. The fruit of long planning and frequent postponement, Scripta is jointly run by Helexpo, the National Book Center (EKEBI) and Greek publishers under the aegis of the Culture Ministry. The organizers hope Scripta will add a new dimension to international fairs by ensuring the participation of countries from southeastern and central Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. They also aim to make the fair an open forum for dialogue across cultures. Greek and foreign publishers are participating in the exhibition as well as individuals and agencies from every corner of the book world: writers, translators, literary agents and booksellers to bookbinders, academics and schools. The fair includes an array of cultural events, including meetings with writers, seminars for publishers and agents, and meetings for translation centers. Tomorrow’s highlights are a meeting between translators Rami Saari and Chryssa Papadopoulou, who are discussing «Pieces of a Mosaic – Images from Israel and Greece» at 7 p.m., followed by a round-table discussion among crime writers on «Woman and Crime Fiction,» with Alicia Gimenez Bartlett, Stella Duffy, and Marilena Politopoulou, moderated by Petros Markaris. The Balkanika Prize will be awarded on Sunday at 7 p.m. Visit Scripta 2004 at Pavilion 15, Thessaloniki International Exhibition Center. Admission free. Open 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. for commercial visitors; 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. for the public; 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. for all over the weekend.
