Belgrade Book Fair from October 23-31 – Tunisia as guest of honor, major publishers absent

The International Belgrade Book Fair will take place from October 23 to 31 at the Belgrade Fairgrounds, with the event’s 69th edition running under the slogan “Words Build the World”. Tunisia will be the guest of honor at this year’s fair.

One of the region’s most significant literary events, the fair will bring together readers, authors, publishers, and representatives of the literary and cultural spheres from Serbia and abroad.

Tunisia will be showcased in the central area of Hall 2, where visitors can explore the country’s literary and cultural traditions, contemporary art scene, and cultural diversity. The program will feature participation from Tunisian writers, artists, and other guests.

A key focus of the program will be anniversaries significant to Serbian literature and culture. The body of work of Ljubomir Nenadovic will be presented to mark the bicentennial of his birth, while the 150th anniversaries of the births of Milan Rakic and Borisav Stankovic will be commemorated through dedicated programs.

Centenary celebrations will serve as an occasion to revisit the works of Pavle Ugrinov and Danilo Nikolic, while the creative output of Radoslav Bratic will be showcased to mark the tenth anniversary of his passing.

Attention will also be devoted to significant cultural institutions. This year, Matica Srpska marks the 200th anniversary of its founding, the “Svetozar Markovic” University Library celebrates its centenary, and the Ivo Andric Foundation marks 50 years since its establishment.

School Day will also be organized as a traditional feature, scheduled this year for Thursday, October 29. Family Days will take place on Monday and Tuesday, October 26-27, allowing families to visit the Fair with the purchase of a single-family ticket.

The Book Fair will be open from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, with individual tickets priced at 450 dinars.

This year’s 69th International Belgrade Book Fair will be held under the slogan “Words Build the World”, highlighting the role of books and reading in connecting people, ideas, and diverse cultures.

Let us remind that a number of leading domestic publishers have cancelled their participation in this year’s Fair. Instead, they will be running their own promotional campaigns throughout October.

As previously announced, the following will not participate in the upcoming Book Fair: Laguna (along with the Delfi bookstore chain) and Vulkan izdavastvo, Kreativni centar, Carobna knjiga, Dereta, Kontrast izdavastvo, Pcelica, Partenon, Finesa and IPC Media, Clio, Arhipelag, Geopoetika, Heliks, Makart, as well as more than twenty other smaller members of the Association of Professional Publishers of Serbia and independent publishers such as Booka, Rende, XX vek, Besna kobila and Albatros plus.

The publishers who declared the boycott cited as their main reasons the exclusion of industry professionals from decision-making and the composition of the Fair Board, high rental rates and associated costs leading to financial losses and the disregard for the publishing community’s long-standing demands regarding the timing and organization of this cultural event.

Beogradski sajam doo Beograd

Belgrade Fair

International Belgrade Book Fair