site.bta14th Book Alley Opens in Sofia

The 14th edition of Sofia's Book Alley opened officially at the Literary Corner tent in front of the National Palace of Culture (NDK) on Monday. The event will run until September 13 along Vitosha Boulevard and in front of NDK.

The ceremony began with author Vera Nakova and young reader Michelle Stoyanova reading an excerpt from Ran Bosilek's Patilansko Tsarstvo. Nakova wished visitors to find at least one inspiring book during the fair.

Speaking at the opening, Education and Science Minister Prof. Georgi Valchev said he hoped events such as Sofia's Book Alley would help bring normality back to reading. 

"Reading is an extremely important element of modern life, and events such as this encourage reading and encounters with books and texts," Valchev said. He noted that people today read extensively through phones, advertisements and other commercial texts, but said reading a book requires solitude and engagement with the words, the author and the meaning embedded in the text - something that is increasingly lacking today.

He also urged older people to take children by the hand and encourage them to read, saying this could help fill Bulgaria's future with faith and optimism.

Sofia City Library Director Marchela Borisova announced the second edition of the Library in Slippers initiative, themed Stories Across Generations. It will begin on September 12 and will bring together grandparents and young readers to exchange their favourite books.

On September 11 and 12, Book Alley will host the Democratic Mosaic festival, organized by the Citizen Participation Forum. More than 50 organizations working to improve the social environment and promote democratic values will take part.

As part of the Buy a Book, Gift a Future initiative, visitors will be able to donate books purchased at the fair, which will then be distributed among a network of 26 youth centres across Bulgaria, the Forum's Director Miroslav Tsekov said.

Petya Gospodinova, Chair of the Board of the Association of Bulgarian Book Publishers, said Bulgaria's literary achievements had also received international recognition this year, noting Georgi Gospodinov's recent Jean Monnet Prize for European Literature and the focus on Bulgaria at this year's international book fairs in Thessaloniki and Bucharest.

Other speakers at the opening included Sofia Deputy Mayor for Culture and Tourism Irina Dakova, Triaditsa District Mayor Dimitar Bozhilov and Rumen Radev, Chairman of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association.

Among the official guests were Anton Kutev, Chair of the parliamentary Culture and Media Committee, and NDK Director Iya Petkova.

For the third consecutive year, BTA is running one of its National Press Clubs at the event. BTA is a media partner of the Bulgarian Book Association which organized the Book Alley.