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Over 270 exhibitors from Greece and abroad, with the participation of 21 countries, 30 foreign authors, including acclaimed artists, and over 400 events featuring 700 Greek and foreign speakers will breathe life into the 14th Thessaloniki International Book Fair (TIBF), which will be held at Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre starting on 11 May and ending on 14 May. For four days, Thessaloniki will beat to the pulse of this great celebration of books, attracting the interest of the sector to the city.
At the heart of this year’s TIBF, which is being organised by the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, TIF-Helexpo and the City of Thessaloniki, with the support of Greek publishers and under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, lies the thematic tribute ‘In Search of the South’. At this central event, distinguished authors from France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Cyprus and other neighbouring countries from the broader Mediterranean basin, such as Turkey and Israel, will converse with writers, journalists, artists, intellectuals and the reading public on issues concerning European affairs and Mediterranean Europe.
The fair will be inaugurated on Thursday, 11 May at 20:00 by the Minister of Culture and Sports, Ms Lydia Koniordou.
The Press Conference
During today's Press Conference in view of the opening of TIBF, the President of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Tassos Tzikas, stated that Thessaloniki International Book Fair is entering a new era, stressing that the problems of previous years have been resolved.
In turn, Mr Giorgos Papanastassiou, a member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, stressed that books are a pretext for a number of cultural events held as part of
the 14th TIBF and encompassing numerous themes and geographical areas.
The Deputy Mayor for Culture, Ms Elli Chryssidou, characterised TIBF as an institution for the city, but also highlighted the new beginning marked by its content, underlining that the City of Thessaloniki believes that major events must be held in the city in order to make it more extroverted.
In turn, Mr Manolis Piblis, the head of design and implementation of the 14th TIBF, stressed that this year's event aims at taking several steps forward, highlighting its international character, the development of various themes and the joining of Greek and international participations. He also spoke about the determination of the people of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, the invaluable contribution of TIF-Helexpo, the support of the City of Thessaloniki, the confidence shown by the Ministry of Culture, the decisive participation of Greek publishers and the role of the reading public of Thessaloniki.
The President of Attiko Metro, Mr Yiannis Mylopoulos, spoke about the meeting of a major transit project, the Thessaloniki Metro, and technology in particular with culture, a symbolic expression that the company wishes to transfer to TIBF. Attiko Metro, along with Aktor and Hellenic Petroleum, are the sponsors of this year’s Fair.
The Deputy General Director of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Alexis Tsaxirlis, spoke about addressing difficulties that emerged in the past and creating prospects for the further growth of TIBF in the coming years. He added that from Thursday to Sunday, over 70,000 individuals will visit TIF, as four other exhibitions-events will be held concurrently with TIBF.
Events
This year, the 14th Thessaloniki International Book Fair will be hosting the fourth Young Writers’ Festival on 12 and 13 May, aiming at showcasing the dynamic new generation of Greek writers. Twenty young poets and authors will be present at the 14th TIBF, presenting the new generation of Greek literature through their work. At the same time, TIBF will be hosting the Translation Festival for a second year, addressed to both
professionals and the wider public interested in translated literature.
Another important part of the Fair is the Children’s Corner, which will include over 100 events - including the impressive illustration exhibition titled ‘Suns’ - such as book presentations, experiential workshops, speeches and discussions on issues that concern parents, children and teachers. These events will feature 156 authors, illustrators, speakers, artists, promoters and teachers.
The schedule of TIBF also consists of four major thematic axes: The work of the great Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis, the hundredth anniversary of the October Revolution, the Refugee Issue, and the Greece-China 2017 Cultural Year.