The Second Christmas – this is how Lithuanian publishers call Vilnius Book Fair, which awaits its fans every February. Publishers around the globe rush to publish the most interesting and beautiful books by Christmas time, in time for the gift-buying fever. Vilnius Book Fair, that takes place after Christmas, is an additional opportunity to organize writers’ meetings with readers and introduce new books. Vilnius Book Fair is the biggest book fair in the Baltic States since 2000. Also, it is one of the most significant cultural events in Lithuania. Vilnius Book Fair is exclusively focused on the reader; its main accent is on books and cultural events, as well as on the possibility for authors to interact with their readers. The cultural programme is very broad – more than 400 cultural events each year: seminars for professionals, meetings with authors, book presentations, discussions, readings, concerts, performances, films, awards, contests and events for children, etc. One of the core events for children at Vilnius book fair is the creative studio You Can Create a Book, developed in the 2003 edition by the graphic artist and book illustrator Sigutė Chlebinskaitė. Visitors are invited to participate in countless creative workshops, readings, and meetings with children’s literature authors as well as book illustrators from Lithuania and abroad. The main goal of the studio is to familiarize the kids with the development of the book from ancient times till now. Adults may visit the Discussion Club; where prominent intellectuale froms Lithuania and abroad take the stage to discusse a broad range of issues. which adds a more intellectual content to the fair. Art, film and music fans will not feel left out either: there are exhibitions of famous Lithuanian and foreign artists (most of them coming to Lithuania for the first time). Poetry readings to jazz is a special feature of the so-called Long Friday (on Friday the fair is open till 9PM!). Visitors also have the opportunity to watch the latest movies made after well-known novels, and documentary films about writers, poets and artists. Every year, since 2008, the Vilnius Book Fair attracts more and more visitors. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to call the book fair a cultural feast at the end of the cold and unpredictable Lithuanian winter.

Read more on Aldus publication European Book Fairs: Facts and Figures