Bookfest kicks off in Bucharest with special book launches, events and more

The International Book Fair Bookfest, now in its 18th edition, opened its doors on Wednesday, May 28, at Romexpo in Bucharest, with a varied program of book launches, debates, and other events. The fair will be open until Sunday, June 1.

Visitors to Bookfest will have nearly 160 booths to see. Publishers have prepared special packages with the best offers and discounts, but also meetings with many cultural personalities from Romania and Portugal, which is the guest of honor of this edition.

The guest country has prepared daily events, book launches, debates, and workshops for children. On Thursday, for example, on the Arena stage, the public is invited to attend an engaging debate titled “Reading as Public Space: How Books Keep a Democratic Society Alive,” supported by Henrique Mota (former president of the Portuguese Publishers Association and of the Federation of European Publishers), literary agent Simona Kessler, editor Lidia Bodea, and professor Mircea Vasilescu, moderated by former Minister of Culture Corina Şuteu.

Portugal’s booth will also host a roundtable titled “Cultural Journalism: Art or a Form of Social Coagulation?” with guests Ana Margarida de Carvalho and Ioana Stăncescu, moderated by Iolanda Frandeş-Vasile, according to the organizers cited by News.ro.

On Saturday, Portuguese writer David Machado will talk about the novel Average Happiness Index.

The final days of Bookfest include events dedicated to major names of Portuguese literature, such as Antonio Lobo Antunes, who will be honored on Saturday, on the Agora stage, starting at 12:00 PM, with the Romanian translation of the novel Fado Alexandrino as a starting point. The event will be attended by professor Carmen Muşat, writer Radu Paraschivescu, translators Cristina Dăscălescu Dordea and Dinu Flămând, and the director of the Camões Institute, Ana Rita de Sousa.

Among the most important contemporary authors who will be at Bookfest are Mircea Cărtărescu, Gabriel Liiceanu, Mircea Mihăieş, Doina Ruşti, Radu Paraschivescu, Tatiana Niculescu, Ioana Pârvulescu, Adrian Miroiu, Cristian Preda, Robert Şerban, Denisa Comănescu, Dinu Flămând, as well as Cristina Andone, Augustin Cupşa, or Alex Moldovan. Each will be present at the publishers’ booths or on the open stages for launches, interviews, and autograph sessions, the organizers announce.

Public entry is free both for the book fair and for the scheduled events throughout.