site.bta43rd Sofia Book Fair Opens

43rd Sofia Book Fair Opens

Sofia, December 8 (BTA) - The 43rd edition of the International Sofia Book Fair opened Tuesday at the NDK convention centre in the Bulgarian capital. Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova delivered the opening remarks.

Organized by the Bulgarian Book Association, the International Book Fair is the biggest book forum in Bulgaria. It provides a rare opportunity for authors, book illustrators, translators, publishers, readers and the press to come together. Participating are over 200 Bulgarian and foreign publishers.

The programme of the six days of the fair is tightly packed with more than 80 events, including book premiers and meetings with authors on the stage of the book fair and at the publishersТ stands.

The NDK floor traditionally reserved for world literature, will see presentations of books from Turkey, Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Hungary, the Nordic countries, Russia and Iran.

The book fair will be held simultaneously with the 3rd edition of the Sofia International Literary Festival which this year highlights the literature of the Iberian Peninsula. In the NDK Marble Lounge visitors will be invited to meet some of the most outstanding representatives of Spanish and Portuguese literature as well as Bulgarian authors.

In his remarks at the opening the Vice President of the European Federation of Book Publishers, Henrique Mota, stressed the importance of protecting copyright and reducing the VAT for books.

Spanish Ambassador Jose Luis Tapia said that his country is proud to be showcasing 10 Spanish authors who largely represent the diversity of Spanish literature.

Portuguese Ambassador Luis Ferraz urged Bulgarian visitors to the book fair to go to the events on the programme of the literary festival in order to sample the literary wealth of the Iberian Peninsula.

The Sofia Book Fair will be on until December 13.