Tbilisi Book Festival returning with first post-pandemic edition
The 2022 edition will bring the Festival back in a hybrid format, with the in-person part hosted in full capacity. Photo via Tbilisi Book Festival
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Georgian and foreign publishers will again bring their stands to Tbilisi's Expo Georgia fairgrounds starting this Thursday to mark the return of Tbilisi Book Festival in its first post-pandemic run.
Taking over two pavilions in the exhibition space, organisers will offer literary content to both adult and younger audiences, a display of illustrations created on the topic of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and highlight Turkey as this year's Focus Country.
Up to 10 Turkish publishers will be featured as part of the focus programme, while over 15 authors from the country will be hosted to join their Georgian counterparts and speak about Georgian-Turkish literary and cultural relations.
Within the Focus Country Programme, the authors from the two countries will discuss subjects including migration, Turkish literature, popular books in the country and a city-centred talk about Istanbul and Tbilisi.
????????Tbilisi International Book Festival will fully support Ukraine with the slogan #GeorgiaStandsWithUkraine. Within the framework of the event, an exhibition will be held about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
— Tbilisi International Book Festival (@tbilisibookfest) May 24, 2022
Learn More -https://t.co/tw3BgVrcpc@GPBAOFFICIAL pic.twitter.com/ZHGC962kUw
Turkey's representation at the fair will hand over the Focus Country status to Poland at the conclusion of the 2022 Festival edition.
Discussions will also be hosted in the general programme, with authors, translators and publishing house representatives raising subjects as diverse as the 20th century Georgian history, new publications of the National Centre of Manuscripts and the Ukraine war.
In the #StandWithUkraine programme for supporting the country defending itself from the Russian invasion, works by Ukrainian illustrators will be bring to the stands "a reflection on terrible times and hope and peace," organisers have said.
Visitors will have two of the Expo Georgia pavilions to explore for the latest of the local literary scene and translations. Photo via Tbilisi Book Festival
Organised by Kyiv's International Book Arsenal Festival and Pictoric Illustrators Club, the display will showcase a dozen artists from the country working on illustrations, posters and comic books.
In the 24th edition of the Festival - promoted as the largest of the kind in Georgia - just as many publishers will bring their latest books to the stands. The publishing houses have released their catalogues in the run-up to the event to make it simpler for visitors to prepare their shopping lists in advance.
The event will also involve the project Actors for Literature, where Georgian stage professionals will speak about their favourite books for the audience. Organisers also said they had ensured a hybrid format for the event, with an online book sale held in parallel to the in-person occasion.
The 2022 edition of the Festival will run between Thursday and Sunday at the fairgrounds located at 118, Tsereteli Avenue in the Georgian capital.