The interest and love of the public for the 12th Thessaloniki International Book Fair (TIBF) exceeded all expectations. More specifically, this year’s event welcomed over 50,000 visitors from 7 to 10 May. During the weekend, Pavilions 13 and 15 of Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre, where the 12th TIBF was deployed, were flooded by visitors, as the book-lovers of Thessaloniki explored new and older publications, received information on the latest developments in the publishing sector and attended over 280 parallel events.

This year’s Fair, which hosted approximately  400 exhibitors and 21 countries and provided a forum for 300 Greek and international authors, became a true ‘celebration’ of culture, achieving the goal initially set by the organisers, the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, TIF-Helexpo, Greek publishers and the City of Thessaloniki. The public embraced the event, supplying it with the best ammunition for the future.

Literature, poetry, science, politics, history, art, discussions, roundtables, workshops, seminars, colloquiums, showings, musical and dramatic events took centre stage and comprised a rich four-day period that covered all areas of interest.

There was great visitor response to the tribute to Ibero-American literature titled ‘Voices from Afar’, taking the public on a voyage to the literature of Spain, Portugal and South America, and to the 2nd Young Writers’ Festival. The ‘Books & Arts’ sections, presenting the relationship between books and music, design and cinema, was highly interesting, while our younger friends were attracted to the ‘Children’s and Adolescents’ Corner’. Visitor numbers at the events for the honoured authors of the 12th TIBF, Manolis Anagnostakis and Zissimos Lorentzatos, was also significant.

TIF-Helexpo will continue to fully support Thessaloniki International Book Fair and to ‘invest’ in culture.

12/05/2015 – 11:41