Approximately 90,000 visitors were welcomed – more than ever. 19th Thessaloniki International Book Fairheld from 4 to 7 May with an expanded professional program and a well-deserved literature American. Traffic grew by 30%-35% compared to 2019, while attendance from a young audience was excellent.

Highlighted among the activities of the 1st International Professional Program was an event entitled “Purchasing rights in the new digital age”, where Petra Hart, director of rights for 25 years at the German publications Suhrkamp, ​​expressed reservations about buying and selling on the relevant digital platforms and stated her preferences in lifelong contacts.

At an event of the Athens Book Publishers Association on the role of publishing associations and national book centers, Svetlo Chelev, director of the National Book Center of Bulgaria, praised the role of the organization regarding Bulgarian works published in Greek and vice versa. , while Anne Bergman, director of the Federation of European Publishers (FEP), stressed the need for the publishing world to have intermediaries in European institutions. As Bergman told “K”in the coming weeks, a report on the future of the book in Europe will be discussed in the European Parliament, with the FEP suggesting lower VAT, stronger translation programs, etc.

He described the quality of the products as a “pleasant surprise”. Greek books that Janet Fritz, president of American Collective Stand, which offers conference services to American publishers, met at the 19th DBTH conference. According to Fritz, about five Greek houses have expressed interest in buying the books on display at the US stand, such as a children’s book about the life and work of Louise Bourgeois.

“The strengthening of the professional part of the exhibition is very positive, but it needs to be continued and not turned into fireworks,” said publisher Nikos Argyris.

On the other hand, according to some Greeks publishersstrengthening the professional character of the exhibition was a positive thing, but an organizational logic was required with a greater emphasis on Greek production, Kostas Spatarakis told K. publications of the Antipodes, who also felt that the presentation of American literature was “improperly planned and failed.”

purchasing interest

Other smaller publishers such as Nikos Koufakis of Loggia Publishing were satisfied with the attendance and buying interest of the public, but did not have the necessary time and staff to attend professional events, while larger publishers such as Anna Pataki, Nikos Argyris from Ikaros and Eva Karaitidis from Hestia established contacts with foreign specialists, appreciating, in the words of Ms. Pataki, that “something can go both ways.” Mr. Argyris emphasized that “the strengthening of the professional part of the exhibition is very positive, but it needs to be continued, not turned into fireworks, because it will lose momentum.”

We are very satisfied with the organization and the international character and less with the duplication of some events and the lack of a printed program.i DEBTH visitors who were spoken to by “K”. Some of them attended performances by such authors as American Claire Mesud, Briton James Wood, Bulgarian Georgy Gospodinov, Senegalese Mohamed Bugar Sar, Lana Bastasich and others. At the end of the event, the President of the Hellenic Cultural Foundation, Nikos Koukis, noted that the intention is to strengthen its professional dimension, and also mentioned the digital transformation of Biblionet.