As it celebrates its first quarter-century, Book World Prague will explore memory and reminiscence and the colour and variety of Latin America
The Book World Prague international book fair and literary festival is celebrating a jubilee year. Between 9th and 12th May, it will again welcome supporters of literature to the Prague Holešovice Exhibition Grounds, where for the 25th time it will familiarize them with works and authors from many countries, including the Czech Republic. This year’s main theme is Memory and Reminiscence. The colour and variety of Latin America, guest of honour at the fair, is reflected in the visuals chosen for this year’s jubilee event.
Book World Prague has plenty to look back on from its first 25 years. So, it is apt that the main theme of this year’s fair should be Memory and Reminiscence, albeit in the widest sense. “Memoir literature, oral history, our relation to history in general, and how it is forgotten, then brought back to mind…” Director of Book World Prague Radovan Auer lists ways in which memory and reminiscence impress themselves upon us. A great inspiration behind the choice of this year’s main theme was guest of honour Latin America, whose presence will be highly visible at the fair. “Authors from this region often take memory and reminiscence as a theme for their work,” explains Radovan Auer.
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Peru have already promised to take part in the fair, and the organizers are in talks with other Latin American countries. Once again, Czech readers will learn about the writing of the guest region through talks with writers and other representatives of its literature. Guillaume Basset, Artistic Director of the fair, is in no doubt that visitors have much to look forward to in May. “In addition to a varied programme of a high literary standard, this year’s fair will feature a plethora of outstanding guests from abroad,” he says. “I venture to say that never before has this country brought together such an impressive group of fine writers in a single place. Although we will release the names of our guests gradually, I can say now that several of them are winners of prestigious literature prizes. As for the musical programme, Kafka Band will perform the Czech premiere of material from their new album Amerika, giving us a first opportunity to see this unique project in Prague.”
The variety of the 25th Book World Prague fair is reflected in its visuals, too. These are again the work of renowned graphic artist and illustrator Pavel Fuksa, whose main aim was to capture the range of colours characteristic of Latin America. In the visuals, the national colours of individual states feature in the line drawn by the fountain pen, a motif that represents the origination of a work of literature.
Tickets for the 25th Book World Prague international book fair and literary festival will be available for purchase from March. Last year’s event attracted 46,000 visitors. “To improve convenience for our visitors, especially organizers of large groups and school groups, we are this year introducing a reservation system for individual programmes,” adds Auer.
This project is run by Svět Knihy (Czech Republic).
Contact person at Book World Prague 2019
Mgr. Jana Chalupová, veletrh@svetknihy.cz, tel.: 603 439 943
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