With the motto “a book in hand and a good summer” he will make his mark again this year Thessaloniki Panhellenic Book Festival which starts tomorrow at the city’s New Beach.

For three whole weeks, lovers of books and culture will have the opportunity to get to know Greek book production, which will present approx. 200 publishers in their exhibitions, but also to meet almost 500 authorswho will be there to chat with the audience and sign their books.

“We believe that for one more year in its long history, in its 5th decade, the Panhellenic Book Festival will achieve its goal of serving the culture and the needs of the book by promoting it,” said Babis Barbounakis at a press conference held earlier , president of the Association of Publishers of Northern Greece, organizer of the Festival.

He considers the presence of the authors and their contact with the reading public to be a “strong card” of the Festival, stressing that it is an action that started timidly three years ago. “We also have an increase in participations of around 15% and thus we cover new publications, which this year in Greece are approaching 10,000 new book titles, a number that makes our country considered one of the richest productive writing countries in the world”, underlined Mr. Barbounakis.

For one of the most important events that take place in the city and for an “institution that is connected to its modern history and to a large extent is its modern culture”, said the mayor of Thessaloniki Konstantinos Zervas. “The book, and indeed the printed book, is something that makes its appointment every year in the – perhaps – most beautiful part of our city, in Nea Paralia, which is filled with white tents. This part of the life of the city cannot but be embraced with all strength and in every way by the municipality of Thessaloniki”, characteristically said Mr. Zervas.

THE 42nd edition of the Book Festival is dedicated to two very important personalities of the Letters. To our national poet Costi Palamas (80 years since his death, 1943-2023) for his contribution and greatness to Greek letters, as well as to the poet and benefactor of Thessaloniki George Vafopoulos (120 years since his birth, 1903-2023) for his contribution to Letters and the cultural events of the city. This year, visitors will be able to take a guided tour of the Thessaloniki Municipality stand for the two tributes.

Kostis Palamas’ relationship with Thessaloniki, but also the special connection he had with Giorgos Vafopoulos, was mentioned by the prose writer Kostas Hatziantoniou, a member of the managing committee of the Palamas Foundation. He also pointed out that the Foundation, 60 years after its establishment, started the new philological and critical edition of the answers of our national poet. “Palamas … is reborn and the greatness of his poetry is revealed, which, in an infinite variety of tones -lyrical, epic, dramatic -, gave our modern poetry the face that connected it with European literature”, said Mr. Hatziantoniou characteristically .

The Festival will also be supported by ehundreds more parallel eventswhich will take place on its central platform, proving that it practically supports intellectual creators, the work of institutions and cultural associations and highlights intellectual and cultural heritage.

The 42nd Panhellenic Book Festival is co-organized by the Association of Publishers of Northern Greece with the Municipality of Thessaloniki, in collaboration with the Region of Central Macedonia and is under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture & the Ministry of the Interior (Macedonia Thrace Sector). It will run from June 23rd to July 9th and will be open daily from 7pm to 11pm. The official opening will take place on June 26 at 20:30 on the platform in front of the statue of Alexander the Great and will be accompanied by rhythms of world music by the Big Band of Moudania.