Thessaloniki is ready for its book fair
Greek books take the limelight next week at Helexpo in Thessaloniki. For four days, May 26-29, the Thessaloniki Book Fair (TBF) offers writers, publishers, booksellers, librarians, critics and readers from Greece and abroad a chance to get acquainted with the Greek book scene. The fair starts with a bang on Wednesday with a performance by the city band in Aristotelous Square, while jugglers and stilt-walkers hand out programs. The 150 publishers participating in the fair – from Greece, the rest of Europe and the Mediterranean – will be housed in pavilions 14 and 15 at Helexpo. A varied program of cultural events includes meetings with leading writers, readings, discussions and presentations for book professionals and the reading public. There will be creative writing, bookbinding and woodcut workshops, a children’s corner with lots of appealing activities, a display and sales point for Greek books in translation, an exhibition of artwork by Sotiris Sorogas and musical afternoons in the outdoor literary cafe with the JAZZ’n’NOVA trio. Directly after the fair, May 30-31, at Porto Carras in Halkidiki, publishers’ federations, booksellers, writers and librarians are attending the Second Pan-European meeting on European book policy. There will also be a seminars for foreign literary agents, publishers, booksellers and literary critics on recent developments on the Greek book scene. TBF is organized by the National Book Center (EKEBI), the Thessaloniki Municipality, Helexpo, the Panhellenic federation of Publishers and Booksellers (POEB) and Thessaloniki University, under the aegis of the Culture Ministry. For information: www.thessalonikibookfair.com.
