Skopje, 16 April 2024 (MIA) - The 36th Skopje Book Fair will begin on April 18 and run through April 24 at the Boris Trajkovski Sports Center. This year's Fair will include more than 30 promotional events, as well as a fellowship program and a socially responsible component, organizers said at a media briefing Tuesday.  

Skopje Fair Executive Director Daniela Gligorovska said the Fair would open for visitors at 10am on April 18, while the official opening ceremony, which will be addressed by the Minister of Culture, will be held at 1pm.

“One of the new exhibitors that will participate in this year’s Fair is the Goethe Institut and the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, who will also attend the official opening,” Gligorovska said.

According to Gligorovska, this year’s Book Fair also includes a socially responsible component, as part of which they will donate Mden 15 to the SOS Children's Village for each purchased ticket. Additionally, on occasion of April 23 – World Book Day, they will donate books to the SOS Children’s Village and the “Partenija Zografski” state high school for students with hearing impairment, as well as free 1-year subscriptions to ebook app Boksy.

“This year we are trying to move the focus of young people, which is placed on social media, towards real reading and in that way move the Book Fair closer to the younger population,” Gligorovska added. 

The head of the Macedonian Association of Publishers (MAI), Bojan Sazdov, said this year the Book Fair is introducing a professional program as well, a Fellowship Program, in the example of all larger international fairs.

“The idea was for the Fair to receive a different dimension and through a public call, forwarded to all regional and European publishes and associations, to invite professionals from the field, who would visit our country and get acquainted with the modern developments in our literature and with our publishing in order to ensure better placement of our literature abroad,” Sazdov said.

He said five guests would visit the Fair this year – a literary agent from France, as well as representatives from Slovenia, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.  

“We have a rich program of events, promotions and conversations with writers this year as well, which will happen during the first six days of the Fair. There will be no promotions on the last day. Around 30 events will be held as part of the Fair, including the granting of awards by the Association of Publishers and, of course, the Fellowship Program,” said the Operative Director of the Book Fair, Sanja Kondarko. 

Kondarko said the focus of the Fair won’t only be placed on the sale of books, but also on the chance to get closer to writers and interact with readers. 

The seven-day Book Fair will be open for visitors from 10am to 8pm. 

Photo: MIA