Tbilisi Book Days: newest books, talks for literature enthusiasts

Fresh bestselling books, newest translations and literary activities are on within the annual Tbilisi Book Days, where visitors will be hosted throughout this weekend.

Launched on Thursday at the city’s ExpoGeorgia fairgrounds, the fair is an extension of the Tbilisi International Book Fair, and the year’s second large-scale fair for those interested in Georgian literature.

In addition to the customary book sale, organisers also offer a range of activities and events for socialisation, interaction and literary reviews.

Visitors view books at a stall during the opening day of the fair. Photo: Tbilisi Book Days.

[The] Tbilisi Book Days [offers] an extensive cultural, educational and entertainment program to the Georgian readers: international workshops and exhibitions, public lectures, children’s events, readings and discussions”, hosts said in their preview.

With major local publishing houses taking up their stalls at the No. 11 Pavilion of ExpoGeorgia, book enthusiasts began filling the space early on.

Interested visitors have been scouring online catalogues for the participating publishers, which showcased books selected for this year’s fair.

Fiction, documentary and children’s literature is presented in original language as well as translated editions by publishing houses.

Knowledgeable book lovers can even leave the event with books for free, with hosts of the Bookshelf competition awarding winners of a quiz game.

Hosted at the customary location in the Tbilisi fairgrounds, the Book Days event is seen as a “working lab for further development of the Georgian book sector” by founders.

Organised this year by ExpoGeorgia and Book Art Centre, the fair was launched in 2014 as a joint project of the Goethe Institute Georgia, the Book Art Centre Tbilisi and ExpoGeorgia.