Athens, 2 April 2025
Ministry of Culture: Presentation of the strategy and actions of the Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture
In the presence of the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, the Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture (HFBC) presented today at a press conference at the amphitheatre of the Ministry of Culture its strategic vision and its key actions for the promotion of Greek books, the networking of creators and professionals in the book industry, and the international promotion of Greek culture.
The main aim of the new organization, which was founded in 2024 and is supervised by the Ministry of Culture, is to promote Greek literature in Greece and abroad, to focus of books as an educational, cultural and recreational medium and to promote promotion Greek culture and the Greek language internationally.
The pillars of HFBC’s strategy are the following: extroversion, synergies and coordination, networking, improvement of the skills of the professionals in the Greek book industry, research and documentation and the development of reading culture.
Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni stated:
“The choice of today’s date for the presentation of HFBC’s actions is not an accidental event, as it coincides with the International Children’s Book Day, a celebration that highlights the importance of reading from an early age. Children’s books are a cornerstone of education, contributing decisively to the formation of reflective, aware and culturally conscious citizens. The Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture is an institution of great importance for Greek Literature, playing a key role in the dissemination of Greek literature and the strengthening of book professionals. HFBC opens up new perspectives for the future of Greek literature with initiatives that promote reading culture and the extroversion of Greek books and highlight the book as a central pillar of our cultural environment. I express my sincere thanks to President Nikos Bakounakis and the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture for their dedication and valuable work, which serves with consistency and vision the dissemination and promotion of Greek books, both in Greece and internationally.”
Deputy Minister of Culture Iasonas Fotilas stressed: “The creation and activation of HFBC clearly reflects the implementation of our policy in the field of books, production and reading culture.
It ensures better conditions and opportunities for creators and professionals in the book industry, greater promotion and strengthening of the position of our country and the Greek language, as well as the preservation of historical continuity in the field of literature and books. The constant and emphatic support of the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, the excellent cooperation with our President Nikos Bakounakis and the members of the Board of Directors of the Foundation, the support of the services of our Ministry and the efforts of our employees, allowed for great work in all areas in just 7 months. At the same time, the organizational capacity that has been created makes it possible to plan a significant course of action that ensures even greater and more effective support from the government across the entire spectrum of books and letters.”
HFBC’s President of the Board of Directors Nikos Bakounakis stated:
“The Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture(HFBC) came as a response to a major gap in public policies for books and to the demand of readers, organizations, professionals, creators and publishers for a modern and extroverted institution. In its first seven months, HFBC created its Internal Operating Regulation to ensure its staffing and sustainability and worked on four key areas:
a) on the utilization of financial instruments such as GreekLit; b) on documenting and producing data and research; c) on designing outreach actions to promote books and reading culture; and d) on restoring and enriching archival material and documenting institutional memory. The HFBC’s website, which is constantly being enriched and has already met with a high level of user acceptance, presents all the Foundation’s activities.
I would like to thank the Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni for her unreserved support, the Deputy Minister Iasonas Fotilas for his great contribution and the members of the Board of Directors who work in Committees for the implementation of the Foundation’s aims”.
As part of its strategy, HFBC is organizing the 21st Thessaloniki International Book Fair, from 8 to 11 May 2025, with Italy as the guest country of honour and the central theme “Created by HumA(I)ns“. At the same time, it is re-launching the GreekLit translation grant programme, which continues with 414,000 euros of funding from the Recovery Fund, with the aim of strengthening the international presence of Greek literature. Also, of great importance is the upgrading of BIBLIONET, the online database of Greek book production, which is being redesigned to ensure its continued operation and viability.
HFBC is also undertaking innovative actions such as the Phygital Readers platform, which utilizes modern technologies (artificial intelligence, augmented reality, podcasts and video trailers) to bring books closer to today’s audience. At the same time, it launches new institutional initiatives, such as the designation of a Greek city each year as a “Book Capital”, with the first to be announced in spring 2026, the “Reading Nights”, which will start in January 2026 in archaeological and cultural sites, and the Children’s & Teenagers’ Book Festival, which will be organized in collaboration with publishers and institutions.
On an international level, HFBC strengthens its networking and presence in important book fairs, such as the Cairo and Sarajevo fairs, while in January 2025 it hosted a Greek-French publishers’ meeting. Through an integrated plan of actions, HFBC confirms its role as a central organization for the promotion of Greek books and the development of reading culture in Greece and internationally.
Photo by Olympianna Miliaki
