The 100th anniversary of independence will be the focus of this year’s book fair scheduled for Nov. 14 to 18 at the Palace of Congresses
in Tirana
TIRANA, Nov. 8 – More than 85 publishers from Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia and Montenegro are joining in Tirana in the next few days for the 15th edition of the Tirana book fair, which this year corresponds to events celebrating Albania’s centenary of independence. Petrit Ymeri, the head of the Albanian Publishers Association which is organizing the event, says the 100th anniversary of independence will be the focus of this year’s book fair scheduled for Nov. 14 to 18 at the Palace of Congresses in Tirana. “The book fair will be a great and very important event. During its five days, there will be lots of events and book promotions. Some 80 to 85 publishing houses from Albania and Kosovo are expected to participate. There will also be a larger exhibiting space with all three floors of the Palace of Congresses filled up with exhibitors and new book titles,” says Ymeri.
This year’s book fair also corresponds to the 20th anniversary of the foundation of the Albanian Publishers Association. Albanian and foreign authors are expected to promote books and hold seminars during the five-day event.
The Tirana Times publishing house is also participating in the book fair with some of its best publications by Albanian and foreign authors. “Occurrence on Earth” (Ngjarje ne Toke) volume of poetry by Prec Zogaj, whose Albanian version was promoted in early 2012 by the Tirana Times publishing house has recently been selected to represent Albania in the 2012 Balkanika literary award.
Speaking of the rent publishers have to pay, which last year became a hot topic, Petrit Ymeri says “this year’s rent on the book fair is lower than what is charged for other events held at the Palace of Congresses.” Albanian authors Bashkim Shehu, Zija ȥla, Moikom Zeqo, Rudolf Marku, Mirela Sula, Arben Puto, but even foreign authors such as Fernando Garcia de Cortsazar dhe Jose Manuel Gonzalez Vesga, Matei Calinescu, Umberto Eco, Andrea Camilleri will be present in the book fair with new publications.
Organizers will award prizes for the best author, best publishing house, best children’s book author, best translator etc.
With book sales oversha-dowed by the internet era, the Tirana book fair will be a good opportunity to promote reading by putting on display publications by all Albanian publishers in the region and offering books at discount.
Earlier this year, Albanian book fairs were also held in Montenegro’s Ulcinj, Kosovo’s Prizren and Skopje, Macedonia.
Last year’s book fair attracted a record 90,000 visitors. However, only 600 new ‘book titles were promoted compared to 2,600 in the previous edition.
Helena Kadare, the wife of internationally renowned Albanian writer Ismail Kadare, was announced the Best Author of this year’s 14th edition of the Tirana book fair. The writer was awarded the fair’s biggest prize for her autobiographical work “Koha e Pamjaftueshme” (Insufficient time) unveiling her life with Ismail Kadere or Is. as she called him in the book. The big political bestseller of the fair was a book by opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama. His “Kurban” (“Sacrifice”) memoir focuses on his time as mayor of Tirana.
