Georgian Publishers and Booksellers Association urges Georgian government to support Georgian book market
The association says that while creating the plan, the experience of about 30 countries was taken into account. Photo: Georgian Publishers and Booksellers Association.
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The Georgian Publishers and Booksellers Association has sent a letter to the Georgian government with a nine-point plan to save the Georgian book market.
The association says that in the last 1.5 months the loss of the market amounted to six million GEL ($1.88/€1.71), while the forecast shows that by the end of May losses will double and reach 12 million GEL ($3.76/€3.42).
Georgia declared a state of emergency to prevent the spread of the coronavirus on May 21.
As a part of the move, book stores were closed and from the beginning of April they were not allowed to sell books online.
Although online trading officially resumed in Georgia on April 26, the majority of publishers have not received permission to operate as the Ministry of Economy has not verified yet whether they have met the required safety standards or not,” reads the letter.
This severe situation could be devastating for the Georgian publishing industry if appropriate measures are not taken and financial support is not provided by the government,” says the association.
The nine-point plan includes special financial benefits and projects which should be carried out in order to save Georgian publishing industry.
The plan is the following:
- Complete exemption from corporate and personal income tax of publishers and book distributors for the next six months
- Government assistance in order to obtain interest-free long-term loans businesses in the publishing industry
- Reduction of interest rates on current loans and long-term grace periods
- About 2,000 -5,000 GEL ($627.5-$1,566,3/€570.6-€1,426.6) grants for small publishing houses
- Increase of state funding for a book fund renewal project for the libraries
- Increase state funding for Tbilisi International Book Fair in order to reduce participation costs for participants
- Renewal of the translation grant by the Writer’s House of Georgia
- Supporting Georgian authors and providing education to specific focus groups
- Support for school textbook publishers
The association says that while creating the plan, the experience of about 30 countries was taken into account.
Georgian citizens will have free access to 2093 electronic books on www.lit.ge for a month due to prolonged school holidays amid coronavirus, the information was announced at a meeting held by the Ministry of Education today.
Georgian publishing houses and literary agencies will take their spots on the fairgrounds at the 2019 Frankfurt Book Fair, the largest European event of the kind, to bring the country's authors, book art scene and tourist potential to visitors starting next week.
Important international guests, Focus Country celebrations of Finland and actors presenting books by foreign writers are only some of the events included in this year’s Tbilisi International Book Fair, launching next week.
Fresh bestselling books, newest translations and literary activities are on within the annual Tbilisi Book Days, where visitors will be hosted throughout this weekend.
Over 40 publishing houses will bring their latest releases to this year's Tbilisi International Book Fair, set for a full run with pandemic precautions this month after it was postponed earlier in the year.