Cankarjev Dom Hosted the 35th Slovenian Book Fair

Slovenian Boom Fair, Domen Pal
Slovenian Boom Fair, Domen Pal

Cankarjev dom – CD Cultural and Congress Centre Ljubljana is traditionally hosting one of the most prominent literary event in Slovenia – the Slovenian Book Fair. Also this year organised and hosted by the Cankarjev dom – CD Cultural and Congress Centre Ljubljana, the so called longest Slovenian bookshop taking place between the 26th of November and the 1st of December.

The most important Slovenian event dedicated to books and to the culture of reading, presents a selection of Slovenian publishers, including the most recent book editions. Alongside the varied and wide selection of more than 25,000 books presented, there are around 300 accompanying events. In the halls of Cankarjev dom where the thematic open stages are held, visitors get to know the books and authors, as well as visit discussions on current topics that the presented books touch.

Accompanying events include various lectures, book signings, awards, consultations, round tables, workshops, presentations, exhibitions, concerts, and stage performances. For its size, the Slovenian Book Fair is renowned for literally filling in every corner of the Cankarjev dom and stretching into every pore of all its exhibition space.

The most important Slovenian event dedicated to books and to the culture of reading, presents a selection of Slovenian publishers, including the most recent book editions. Alongside the varied and wide selection of more than 25,000 books presented, there are around 300 accompanying events. In the halls of Cankarjev dom where the thematic open stages are held, visitors get to know the books and authors, as well as visit discussions on current topics that the presented books touch.

Accompanying events include various lectures, book signings, awards, consultations, round tables, workshops, presentations, exhibitions, concerts, and stage performances. For its size, the Slovenian Book Fair is renowned for literally filling in every corner of the Cankarjev dom and stretching into every pore of all its exhibition space.

This year, the six-day fair emphasises Prekmurje, the easternmost region of Slovenia, bordering on Hungary, as this year the 100th anniversary of its annexation to Slovenia from the dissoluted Habsburg’s Monarchy is celebrated. Rich in arts and culture, Prekmurje is bursting at the seems with literates that will be hosted at the Writer’s Stage. Besides Slovenian writers, there will be also a lot of international stars that will visit the Fair as part of the In Focus section. This year, instead of one country, rather writers from Europe as the whole will partake in the section. Jack Harte from Ireland, Véronique Olmi from Ferance, and Sibylle Berg from Germany are just some of the world-wide known names arriving to Ljubljana.

Cankarjev dom, home to the CD Congress Centre Ljubljana – the venue and organizer

The Slovenian Book Fair is traditonal and the most established book festival in Slovenia tracing back its origins to 1972 when UNESCO with a slogan ‘Books for All’ declared the International Year of Books. From then on, a merely book exhibition with its aim to promote and sell newly released book editions has grown into the celebration of books, literacy, and reading. Thus, within the 46 years of its rich history, the fair has become the most important and biggest literature event in Slovenia annually hosting over 30,000 visitors.

Since 1981, Cankarjev dom has served as its venue and since 1993 also as a co-organizer in conjunction with the Chamber of Book Publishing and Selling. This year, the six-day fair is a place where literature meets the real world, occupying the entire CD Congress exhibition capacity.

Kongres Magazine