site.btaOver 150 Publishers Showcase More Than 100,000 Titles at 52nd Sofia International Book Fair

The 52nd Sofia International Book Fair and the 13th Sofia International Literary Festival will be unveiled at the National Palace of Culture (NDK) congress centre on Tuesday. The events, organized by the Bulgarian Book Association (BBA), will run until December 14.

More than 150 publishing houses are taking part, presenting over 100,000 book titles. Visitors can enjoy a rich cultural programme featuring book premieres, discussions and meetings with Bulgarian and international authors.

The Bulgarian News Agency is a media partner of the Bulgarian Book Association and will participate with a mobile national press club at the fair.

A core part of the programme is the 13th Sofia International Literary Festival, which will bring together Bulgarian and foreign writers, translators and illustrators over six days. This year’s guests include renowned authors such as Jeanette Winterson, Elizabeth Kostova, Gerard de Cortanze, Itamar Vieira Junior, Ian McGuire, Kamel Daoud, Marie NDiaye, Maria Zaragoza, Noga Albalach, Thodoris Gkonis, Ursula Olsen, Frederic Lenoir, as well as Bulgarian writers Velina Minkova, Joanna Elmy and Rene Karabash.

As is tradition, the Golden Lion awards for publishing achievements will be presented at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in Hall 7 of the NDK, one of the highlights of the BBA’s cultural calendar. Alongside the established prizes for best publishing project and project of greatest public significance, a new special award by the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication of St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia will be introduced for a book with documentary and scholarly contribution.

From December 9 to 12, the second edition of the Professional Programme for Publishers will also take place, organized by the Sofia Literary Agency in partnership with the Bulgarian Book Association and the National Book Centre, with financial support from the Culture Ministry. More than 30 international guests, including publishers, editors, literary agents and rights and children’s literature experts, will take part in meetings, lectures and discussions aimed at developing the professional community.