Italy Guest of Honour at the 21st Thessaloniki International Book Fair
- January 11, 2025
For the first time, Italy will be the Guest of Honour country at the Thessaloniki International Book Fair (TBF), which is organised by the Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture (HFBC) and will take place from 8 to 11 May 2025, at the TIF – Helexpo exhibition area.
The cooperation agreement was signed by Mr. Nikos Bakounakis, president of the Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture, Mr. Francesco Neri, director of the Italian Cultural Institute of Athens, Francesco Neri, and Fabrizio Camastra, director of ITA- Italian Trade Agency Athens.
Τhe Italian participation is made possible thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Embassy of Italy in Athens and the Italian Cultural Institute of Athens, the Ministry of Culture with the Book and Reading Centre, the ITA-Italian Trade Agency responsible for the promotion abroad and the internationalisation of Italian companies, and the cooperation of the Italian Publishers Association.
The President of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture (ΗFBC), Mr. Nikos Bakounakis, commented on this important cooperation, which opens new perspectives in the field of cultural relations and, in particular, publishing exchanges between the two countries:
“Italy is the Guest of Honour at the 21st Thessaloniki International Book Fair and this makes me particularly happy. Italy is Europe’s fourth largest publishing market, with a turnover of €3 billion 439 million in 2023, a dynamic literary scene with wonderful authors, many of whom we will see in Thessaloniki, a major force in children’s book publishing, reflected in the Bologna Fair, the most important children’s book fair in the world, and of course a great tradition of authors and books that have left their indelible mark on our reading tastes and reading attitudes. There is also a significant increase, from 84 titles in 2019 to 122 in 2023, in translations of Italian literary works into Greek. I believe that this potential will become more than evident at the 21st Thessaloniki Book Fair and across the city, through parallel events.
The 21st Thessaloniki Book Fair is the first to be organized by the new Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture (HFBC) and the presence of Italy is particularly important for us, not only because of the quality and range of its literary production but also because books in Italy are key to understanding how this Mediterranean society is changing.
I would like to thank the Italian Cultural Institute, the Italian Trade Agency and, of course, the Associazione Italiana Editori for their close cooperation, which guarantees a creative and imaginative ‘Italy, Guest of Honour country’ in Thessaloniki from 8 to 11 May 2025″.
On his part, the Ambassador of Italy to Greece, Mr. Paolo Cuculi, noted:
“The participation of Italy as the Guest of Honour country at the Thessaloniki International Book Fair is a source of great satisfaction and an important opportunity to further strengthen the already solid and fruitful cultural relations between Italy and Greece.
Italian publishing is well known and established in Greece, as evidenced by the significant number of Italian books translated into Greek every year, thanks also to the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The presence of great Italian authors in Thessaloniki in May will allow the Greek public to meet some of the most important figures of contemporary Italian literature and discover their works. At the same time, the participation of major Italian publishers will encourage contacts and collaborations with Greek publishers, which I am sure will prove to be particularly fruitful in view of the innovations and challenges that technological development poses and that the sector will have to face in the coming years”.
The Thessaloniki Book Fair is organized by the Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture in cooperation with Greek Publishers, TIF–HELEXPO, the Central Macedonia Region, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports. It is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the 2021-2027 Regional Operational Program (ROP) for Central Macedonia. TBF is a member of the International Book Fairs Forum and ALDUS UP – the European Book Fairs Network.
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