On 11-14 May 2023, the 28th International Book Fair and Literary Festival Book World took place in Prague.
About the event
The 28th edition of the international book fair and literary festival is thematically exceptional. The Authors Without Borders concept reflects the current time when borders, whether physical, cultural, social, sexual, genre, or political, are becoming increasingly blurred. Thus in 2023, the guest of honor is not a specific country but authors transgressing notional borders.
"We continue to share our history through literature and art as part of the European community, with a special focus on Crimean Tatar culture and identity, which Russia is consistently trying to destroy. The focus is on the experience of "living" the war - an exhibition of posters, The Orphanage, 'Olenka runs away from the war' (CZ-UA project). Ukrainian resilience is also manifested in the publishing sector: active participation of Ukrainian book actors in the festival's professional programme, book novelties at the Ukrainian stand,"
Photo: Svět knihy
Ukrainian stand
At the Ukrainian stand №KB 207, visitors were able to buy Ukrainian books for children and adults, as well as Czech translations of Ukrainian literature and English-language books about Ukraine.
Salome Engibaryan, a representative of the Old Lion Publishing House, read an excerpt from the new, fifth book of the popular children’s series “36 and 6 Cats” by Ukrainian children’s writer Halyna Vdovychenko, which is just being prepared for publication, author of the series of books 36 and 6 Cats, took part in the festival.
Serhiy Zhadan presented the Czech translation of his novel The Orphanage and performed with the Kharkiv band Zhadan i Sobaky.
Ukrainian writers living in Prague also read their pieces: Karina Armlos and Oksana Maslova.
Special attention was paid to the literature of the Crimean Tatar people. There was an opportunity to listen to the poetry of Pavlo Korobchuk and Iryna Zahladko.
"The Book World 2023 continues to support Ukraine, and the aim of the festival is to help Ukrainian refugees keep in touch with their language and literature. The main guest of the Ukrainian programme will be one of the most famous contemporary Ukrainian writers, Serhiy Zhadan. He will appear to the audience as both a writer and a rocker,"
The Ukrainian programme featured an exhibition of war posters #SupportUkrainePIC by the Ukrainian illustrators’ association Pictoric. Its co-founder Olena Staranchuk designed the Ukrainian stand at the festival.
For the first time, the festival also hosted a two-day forum for professional audiences, the Central and Eastern European Book Market, which was attended by representatives of Ukrainian publishing houses: The Old Lion Publishing House, Vivat, Books XXI, and UAComix. The International Book Arsenal Festival will also present its activities at the forum.
The Ukrainian stand and programme were developed in cooperation between the Books World Festival, the Ukrainian Institute, the Books-UA bookstore, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic, and with the financial support of the Czech charity foundation PPF.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday 9:30 am – 7 pm
Sunday: 9:30 am – 4 pm
Address:
Výstaviště Praha
Křižíkovy pavilion
Praha 7 – Holešovice
Tram stop Výstaviště or metro station Nádraží Holešovice
Entrance to the festival is charged. For tickets (one-day, two-day, family tickets, tickets for the concert of Zhadan i Sobaky), please follow this link.