The Gdansk Book Fair is the first such large initiative focused on literature in Pomerania. This is an excellent opportunity to meet representatives of the literary community, writers, publishers and culture enthusiasts. There have not been any similar large readers’ event in Gdansk until 2018, and as the extremely successful attendance of over 13 000 visitors of the first edition showed, it is a much-needed and appreciated event. 

​

The 2020 Gdansk Book Fair
 

The previous two editions have proved that the interest in literature in our city is huge, and the book fair is the perfect complement to other literary events organized in the Tri-City. Therefore, in order to meet the growing expectations from year to year, in 2020 all literature lovers are invited to the area of ​ The Gdansk International Fair AMBEREXPO - Exhibition and Convention Centre where we will meet on the last weekend of March. The bigger space means more possibilities and a richer program. Conversations with leading Polish and international writers, debates, children's workshops, exhibitions, and discussion panels are just some of the events that will accompany this year's book fair.
 

Topic discussed during the debates will include some of the most significant literary events of the past year. This will undoubtedly include The Nobel Prize for Literature for Olga Tokarczuk, as well as the 'Nike' Literary Award for Mariusz Szczygieł.
 

The first two years of the Gdańsk Book Fair comfortably exceeded our expectations - in 2019 over fifteen thousand readers visited us. The previous year, we also had the pleasure of welcoming our Guests of Honour. Highlights included conversations with leading Icelandic writers on subjects extending from literature to democracy, openness, and education pertaining to civic awareness. Further enhancing the quality of these topical discussions, we were happy to welcome Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, President of the City of Gdańsk, to one of our debates.
 

The Balkans will be the Honorary Guest of The Gdansk Book Fair in 2020. After the North European, Icelandic edition of last year's fair, the time has come for the Slavic South. From the Greenland Sea we will therefore move to the warm Adriatic, with featured authors from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 

This is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multilingual region, often seemingly oxymoronic and full of contradictions, whose literature has become an emissary of the views and ideas of its inhabitants, building bridges, abolishing borders, and transcending conflict.
 

Already at the end of March, enthusiasts  of Balkan literature will have the opportunity to meet their favourite authors in person such as Zagreb Bosnian writer and columnist Miljenko Jergovic, a highly respected resident of Poland, or one of the most important contemporary writers of Serbian literature - Svetislav Basara. The 2020 fair will also feature the  voices of courageous women here in Gdansk - Vedrana Rudan from Croatia and Ferida Duraković from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 

We didn’t forget about poetry and drama lovers. The fair will also feature meetings with Balkan poets: Dejan Aleksić from Serbia and  Darko Cvijetić  from Bosnia and Hercegovina) and playwrights: Tomislav Zajec and Ivor Martinić  from Croatia. The special guest of this year's Gdansk Book Fair will be  Serbian translator of Polish literature Milica Markić, with whom we will discuss the challenges and excitement of translating Olga Tokarczuk’s Nobel Prize-winning prose.
 

Moreover, The Fair presents an excellent opportunity to hear from prised Polish translators of South Slavic literature such as Magdalena Petryńska, Dorota Jovanka Ćirlić, Miłosz Waligórski.
 

The three-day fair is an opportunity to explore a culture that connects rather than divides and has the power of influence irrespective of perceived differences and barriers. As such, we will invite representatives of scientific and literary circles to discuss the subject of freedom of culture across divisions.
 

To ensure we don't avoid important, current, and often difficult topics this year's program also includes climate change events and discussions on awareness of and our responsibilities regarding waste reduction.

The Gdańsk Book Fair will be held on March 27-29 at AmberExpo in Gdańsk, ul. Żaglowa 11