The 30th International Book Fair and Literary Festival Book World Prague revolved around the theme of “30! Energy of the Youth – Wisdom of Books” and took place from 15 to 18 May at the Prague Exhibition Grounds in Holešovice. It welcomed around 62 thousand readers. The European Union Prize for Literature was awarded to Italian author Nicoletta Verna. The most popular authors included, as expected, the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature Olga Tokarczuk, former Slovak president Zuzana Čaputová, the first Bulgarian winner of the International Booker Prize Georgi Gospodinov, esteemed Ukrainian writer and intellectual Andrey Kurkov, bestselling author of books for children and youth Katherine Webber or Belarusian writer, journalist and TV host Sasha Filipenko. As for Czech writers, readers were most drawn to the programmes of best-selling authors Alena Mornštajnová and Kateřina Tučková, artist Jaromír 99 or writer Martin Šinkovský. The most emotional moment was the presentation of the Jiří Theiner Award to Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, which was accepted by his daughters. The newly opened Kája Saudek Stage proved to be very popular.
The upcoming 31st edition will take place at the Prague Exhibition Grounds from 14 to 17 May 2026.
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If you are interested in an interview with the festival director Radovan Auer or dramaturge Guillaume Basset, please do not hesitate to contact us.
The star of Book World Prague 2025 is a world renown Polish author and winner of The Nobel Prize in Literature Olga Tokarczuk. Portugal, the Guest of Honour of the 30th edition, will present literary works across genres from this country on the Atlantic coast with the help of guests such as the master of prose Lídia Jorge, ironist Rui Zink and poet João Luís Barreto Guimarães who explores the depth of everyday life. Book World Prague 2025 will welcome around 70 foreign authors, including world renown writers such as Georgi Gospodinov from Bulgaria, Andrej Kurkov from Ukraine or Sam Holland from USA. The visitors will be also able to enjoy another edition of Das Buch, project focused on German-language literature. Czech literature will be represented by dozens of authors. The fair continues to support literature as the voice of freedom through the Jiří Theiner Award which will go to Algerian writer Boualem Sansal this year. It will also host the award ceremony of the prestigious European Union Prize for Literature and present talented authors from thirteen European countries who were nominated for this award. A new hall housing Kája Saudek Stage will offer a comprehensive overview of comic works, but also present new releases from young adult, sci-fi and fantasy literature. There will be plenty for the youngest readers to enjoy thanks to our Growing With a Book campaign. A networking opportunity for professionals will be provided for the third time already by the Central and East European Book Market. The 30th edition with a rich programme and motto “30! Energy of the Youth - Wisdom of Books” will take place from 15 to 18 May at the Prague Exhibition Grounds in Holešovice. It will offer a wide range of genres and types of programmes for all generations and for both readers and teachers and book professionals.
More information is available in the enclosed press release.
More material is available at the Press Centre at https://bit.ly/presscentrumskp25
Please be advised that Mrs Tokarczuk will not give any interviews.
Additionally, I can offer:
The 30th edition of Book World Prague will welcome Gospodinov, Kurkov, Saisio and Sam Holland. Portugal as the Guest of Honour will be represented by the esteemed Jorge or the ironic Zink
The 30th International Book Fair and Literary Festival Book World Prague will once again welcome a number of important authors. Notable names in world literature include the first Bulgarian winner of the International Booker Prize, Georgi Gospodinov, esteemed Ukrainian writer and intellectual Andrey Kurkov, eclectic Finnish author Pirkko Saisio, and the American thriller master Sam Holland. Gospodinov and Saisio also show the strong link between Book World Prague and this year’s nominations for the Magnesia Litera Awards. Stories full of emotion and a unique view of the world by the ocean will be presented by the representatives of Portugal, the Guest of Honour of this jubilee edition. The festival will feature eight prominent authors across genres, including the renowned Lídia Jorge, masterfully reflecting social change, the ironic storyteller Rui Zink, poet João Luís Barreto Guimarães, and the sought-after children’s author Ana Madalena Matoso. The presentation of foreign writers will be complemented by thirteen literary talents shortlisted for the European Union Prize for Literature, the award ceremony of which will be one of the highlights of this year’s programme. And last but definitely not least there will be a plethora of Czech authors. Book World Prague 2025 with its motto by a Portuguese writer Ricardo Reis: “30! Energy of the Youth - Wisdom of Books” will take place from 15 to 18 May at the Prague Exhibition Grounds in Holešovice.
The Guest of Honour of the 30th Book World Prague is Portugal, a country at the very end of Europe, surrounded by land on one side and washed by the ocean on the other. This unique geographical location has also influenced literature which reflects openness, desire for discovering and the echoes of the many voices brought by the Atlantic. As Vergílio Ferreira once wrote: “From my language we can see the sea.”
More in the attached press release.
Contact for media:
Book World Prague 2025 will introduce Portuguese culture and host the award ceremony of the prestigious EU Prize for Literature. The motto of this edition, “30! Energy of the Youth – Wisdom of Books”, illustrates how the International Book Fair and Literary Festival perceives this jubilee: as an opportunity to reminisce about its rich history and at the same time, and above all, to focus on the future. The theme highlights the dialogue between the creativity of young authors and the timeless wisdom that can be found in literature. The motto borrowed from the quote by Portuguese writer Ricardo Reis also hints at this year’s Guest of Honour which is Portugal. Czech readers will learn about the culture, language and literary innovations of this country through both classical and contemporary works. The selected literary stars will also bring to Prague the countries represented in the EU Prize for Literature, the award ceremony of which will be one of the highlights of Book World Prague this year. The 30th edition of the festival will be held from 15 to 18 May at the Prague Exhibition Grounds in Holešovice. The jubilee edition will present a new hall housing Kája Saudek Stage, dedicated to comic books, but also to young adult literature, sci-fi and fantasy.
The motto of the 30th Book World Prague is a quote by Portuguese writer Ricardo Reis: “30! Energy of the Youth – Wisdom of Books”. It combines the energetic and challenging nature of youth with timeless knowledge that can be found in literature. “Thirty years is the age of one generation, and the festival has matured to fulfil its role as a bridge-builder and to bring the new generation to the level of their predecessors. The festival forms a bridge between the energy of the youth and the wisdom of books,” said Guillaume Basset, Dramaturg of the festival, commenting on the choice of the motto.
The visitors can look forward to a vast array of literary production from 15 to 18 May at the Prague Exhibition Grounds in Holešovice where Book World Prague will take place. The fair also continues to attract a great deal of interest from publishers to present their books there. Tickets are available at Book World Prague website.
More in the attached Press Release!
Contact for media: Pavla Umlaufová, pavla.umlaufova@piaristi.cz, +420 723 901 326, Jana Chalupová, jana.chalupova@svetknihy.cz, +420 603 439 943.
Read about the most interesting events from 29th International Book Fair and Literary Festival Book World Prague.
The 29th International Book Fair and Literary Festival Book World Prague held at the Prague Exhibition Grounds from Thursday 23 May to Sunday 26 May attracted about 60,000 young as well as adult readers. The most popular authors were, as expected, the married couple Alexandra and Alexander Ahndoril and Irish novelist John Boyne. The visitors also loved Berlin storyteller Olivia Wenzel, German writer Lin Rina, Russian-writing writer of Armenian origin Narine Abgaryan, cartoonist and illustrator Nicolas Mahler, German novelist Bernhard Schlink, French comic author Alexis Nolent aka Matz, or one of the greatest contemporary Swiss writers Peter Stamm. Czech writers did amazing, too, especially Karin Lednická, Radka Denemarková, Bianca Bellová, poet Petr Borkovec, sci-fi writer Ondřej Neff and the winner of this year’s Magnesia Litera Award Alena Machoninová. The Jiří Theiner Award was awarded remotely to Elif Şhafak. Just like last year, young readers had a lot of fun at the section dedicated specifically to them. The topic of Literature as the Voice of Freedom resonated again with the current social and political situation in the world, as did the programme of Ukrainian literature, which continues to help Ukrainian refugees maintain contact with their language and literature. The upcoming 30th edition will take place at the Prague Exhibition Grounds from 15 to 18 May 2025. Next year’s guest of honour will be Portugal.
In addition:
Our book industry is currently experiencing the biggest book celebration of the year, enjoying the extremely positive and energizing atmosphere of Book World Prague. Nevertheless, and for the very same reasons, please pay attention to the following lines.
The heart of Ukrainian book and printing industry is the city of Kharkov, in the east of the country. On Thursday, the very first day of Book World Prague, a targeted missile attack occurred on the Faktor-Druk book printing plant, one of the largest in Europe, affiliated with the Vivat publishing house. This structure produces a large number of textbooks and children's books. Production lines were destroyed, seven employees of the printing plant were killed and dozens were injured.
Please read more in the attached letter.
We have an important announcement regarding the Book World Pilsen 2024. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to organize it this year due to the reconstruction of the DEPO2015 venue, which coincides with our event. We apologize for informing you only now, but we were still hoping to find a solution. As we would not like to change the established venue, we hope to see you again in the newly renovated space in 2025.
However, we do know the dates of the next two editions of Book World Prague, which we are pleased to share with you:
We are looking forward working together again.
The team Svět knihy.
The programme is prepared by the Goethe-Institut Czech Republic, the Austrian Cultural Forum in Prague and the Swiss Embassy in the Czech Republic. Das Buch presents contemporary literature from Germany, Austria and Switzerland in its entirety: from fiction and children's literature to philosophy, comics, slam poetry and zines. Their work, often in new Czech translations, will be presented by first-class authors, including the Austrian State Prize for Children's and Young People's Literature winner Michael Stavarič, the latest winner of the German Book Prize Tonio Schachinger, and one of the greatest Swiss writers Peter Stamm, who is returning to the Book World Prague. Bestselling author Judith Hermann will be coming from Germany, as well as Kafka's most important biographer Reiner Stach. Franz Kafka's legacy as a link between the German language and Prague also features strongly in the programme of the 29th edition, which falls in the year of the centenary of Kafka's death. In addition, the motto of Book World Prague is a Kafka quote: "A book must be an axe for the frozen sea within us." Das Buch brings together themes related to philosophy, inclusion in its various forms and children's literature. A rich literary programme and book offer will attract literature lovers to the Prague Exhibition Grounds from 23 to 26 May.
More information can be found in the attached press release.
https://bit.ly/
You are all invited to the International Book Fair and Literary Festiva Book World Prague which will be held from 23rd to 26th May at the Prague Exhibition Grounds.
The programme of the 29th edition reflects the centenary of the death of Franz Kafka. Which is why this year’s guest of honour is the traditional festival project of Das Buch entitled for the 2024 edition as Das Buch – German-Language Literature.
It will present authors and speakers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The programme commemorating Kafka’s anniversary will feature his work and the sources of inspiration it provided. The legacy of the Prague-based writer who wrote in German is also reflected in the visuals by the graphic studio of Pavel Fuksa, as well as in the motto of this year’s edition, which is Kafka’s quote: “A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us”.
The name of Franz Kafka, as well as the names of other important Czech writers such as Jaroslav Seifert and Karel Čapek, were also used to rename the festival halls. Apart from the literature of German-speaking countries, the festival will continue with its programme supporting young readers as well as the well-established section entitled Literature as the Voice of Freedom which provides space for those who cannot speak freely.
More information is available in the press release.
For more information visit our press centre: https://bit.ly/presscentrumsvetknihy24
If you have any questions or would like to interview Director Radovan Auer or Dramaturg Guillaume Basset, please contact:
Pavla Umlaufová
e: pavla.umlaufova@piaristi.cz
t: +420 723 901 326
Around five dozen exhibiting publishing houses will present their publishing activities from the first half of the year as well as their currently published titles. The programme of the festival is mixed in such a way as to interest both mainstream readers and the public or young readers coming with teachers or parents. This year's dramaturgy will focus, among other things, on the topic "Authors Without Borders", which are crossed physically and mentally. The premiere of the project Gallery of New Titles will provide visitors with a broader overview of book production for the autumn and Christmas market 2023. The DEPO2015 area will be open for the book fair and literary festival visitors from 8:45 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Details of the programme can be found in the attached PRESS RELEASE and on our websites.
You can download the PROGRAMME CATALOGUE, print-quality photos and graphics at the press center.
If you have any questions, please contact Jana Chalupová, jana.chalupova@svetknihy.cz, +420 603 439 943.
The Book World team is currently preparing the 4th edition of the international book fair and literary festival - Book World Pilsen 2023. It will fill the DEPO2015 spaces on September 22 and 23. Around six dozen exhibiting publishing houses will present their publishing activities of the first half of the year as well as their recently published titles. The festival program is intended for both the lay or professional audience and young readers coming with their teachers or parents.
Renowned and young domestic authors will appear in the literary festival. This year's dramaturgy will focus, among other things, on the theme "Authors without borders", where borders are being overcrossed not only between countries, but also in the minds and work of authors and each of us. The premiere of the New Titles Gallery will provide visitors with an overview of just released book production for the autumn and Christmas market.
The International Book Fair and Literary Festival Book World Prague returned to the Prague Exhibition Ground in Holešovice from 11 to 14 May 2023 and was unique especially in terms of its theme. The concept of “Authors Without Borders” emphasized all authors transgressing notional borders and even exceeded the attendance expectations. Over the course of four days, Book World Prague drew almost 60 thousand readers. The festival featured Russian literary provocateur Vladimir Sorokin, Ukrainian literary star Serhiy Zhadan and German crime writer Volker Kutscher. The most popular Czech authors voted by visitors were Alena Mornštajnová, Kateřina Tučková and Michael Žantovský. The Jiří Theiner Award went to Iranian women and men fighting against oppression. Book World Prague presented the new Central and East European Book Market project, the Growing with a Book section dedicated to young readers proved its popularity again and the festival did not ease up on its support for Ukraine and helping Ukrainian refugees maintain contact with their language and literature. Visitors to Book World Prague 2023 were able to find hundreds of exhibitors in all the newly reconstructed Křižík pavilions while the programme part took place at the Prague Exhibition Grounds in tents. The 29th edition will take place on 23–26 May 2024 and will focus on literature by German-speaking authors.
* PRINT-QUALITY PHOTOS from all programmes can be downloaded after their viewing at: https://bit.ly/foto-SKP2023
* Please, credit the photos when using them as: ARCHIV SVĚT KNIHY PRAHA 2023. (BOOK WORLD PRAGUE 2023 ARCHIVE)
* ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS are provided by our Press Centre at: https://bit.ly/presscentrumsvetknihy2023
As a valuable source of information about the program, dramaturgy and course of the last years of the literary festival and book fair Book World Prague, download the pdf programs, final media prints or press releases.
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