Culture drives developments and growth, teaching cooperation and humanism. With these priorities in mind, with Russia as the honoured country and with a thematic event titled ‘Refugees, in the past and present’, this year’s 13th Thessaloniki International Book Fair (TIBF) is being held from 12 to 15 May 2016 at the city’s International Exhibition Centre.

The 13th TIBF is being jointly organised by TIF-Helexpo, the Hellenic Foundation for Culture and the Municipality of Thessaloniki, under the supervision and with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports.

The exhibition has always aimed at expanding the horizons of reading, supporting Greek publishers, showcasing young and recognising older domestic and international creators, as well as linking all the above to national and international socio-political circumstances.

At the same time, the Fair is a major social event, as it interactively connects creators and readers, while providing substantial motivation to cultural, scientific and educational agencies during an event of international and supra-local interest.

The 13th TIBF, which will have free admission, will cover three pavilions and will focus on numerous timely subjects and fields, the most important of which are:

• The cultural programme presented by Russia, the honoured country of the Fair, within the framework of 2016 as the Year of Greek-Russian Friendship, with the participation of Russian publishers and authors. The participation of Russia will cover numerous fields and include presentations of authors and poets, modern aesthetic and literary movements, showings of films and animations, as well as translation programmes (from Russian into Greek). Furthermore, the treasures of Russian museums will be presented and the public will have the opportunity to attend numerous events that will highlight the relationship between Russia and Greece.
• The thematic event of this year’s Fair, titled ‘Refugees, in the past and present’ and being organised in cooperation with the Municipality of Thessaloniki, aims at highlighting the modern reality of the problem, as well as its historical dimensions. The event will include a thematic book exhibition, discussions-round tables, book presentations, an extensive exhibition of photographs by photographers and photojournalists who have captured snapshots from the journey of refugees, showings of related films in cooperation with the Thessaloniki Film Festival, etc.
• The Young Authors’ Festival is being expanded during its 3rd incarnation with international participants from the Toronto Literary Festival and other countries, once again providing a platform for young literary voices to be heard.
• The Translation Festival will be hosted at a separate pavilion and will feature numerous informative and interactive events, with the participation of European agencies, institutes and the corresponding departments of Greek universities. Events will include translation seminars, presentations of new programmes for the support of literary translation, as well as ‘The Language Project–Translation Slam’, with the participation of emblematic figures from the field of translation.
• The participation of publishers and authors from numerous countries, such as China, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Ukraine, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Croatia, Slovakia, Serbia, Romania, etc. The institutes of these countries that operate in Greece will participate actively in the event.

Other events will include numerous literary and professional meetings, thematic colloquiums, translation workshops, speeches, round tables, a children’s & adolescents’ corner, as well as the literary café, film showings, and artistic and theatre happenings.

Thessaloniki will also be celebrating during the 13th TIBF and numerous cultural events will be held at various locations throughout the city.

For further information regarding the Fair, please visit: www.thessalonikifookfair.com & facebook.com/thessalonikibookfair

10/05/2016 – 13:14