It opens its gates today at its new beachThessaloniki, the45th National Festival BookThe top cultural institution of summer for the city is dedicated to the 100 years since the founding of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and will last until Sunday, July 5.
In this year's event, as said at yesterday's press conference, President of the Association of Publishers of Northern Greece, Charalambos Barbounakis, will operate 120 exhibitions, with the participation of 400 publishers and 500 writers, who will meet the public and sign their books. At the same time, visitors will be able to attend presentations, thematic actions and a special thematic exhibition dedicated to comics.
According to Mr. Barbounakis, the main event of the Festival is the re-issue and presentation by the Central Library of the AUTH of a rare historical text of 1500, entitled "GALEN, THERAPYTIC METHOD BOOKS XI" and TO GLAOKON THERAPYBLIA II". "This is the only copy in the world to be rescued in the AUTH, it includes two treatises of physician and philosopher Galen and is expected to cause an international sensation," stressed the President of S.E.C.E.
What is important, however, and Mr Barbounakis stressed yesterday, is that the book is on an upward course, especially after coronavirus, with a total of 12,000 new publications, including 2,700 children's books.
The Festival is co-organized by the Association of Publishers of Northern Greece, the Municipality of Thessaloniki and AME Byzantine Thessaloniki, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Interior (Macedonia-Thrakis section) in collaboration with the Region of Central Macedonia.
Key Events Programme
Sunday, June 21st (20:30, Statue of Alexander the Great)
Discussion on water resilience in relation to the climate crisis, in cooperation with the European Parliament and the European Commission. Participants: Harris Koudouros, Sakis Arnaoutoglou (Euro-Member), Nikolaos Georgiadis, Elpida Kolokytha (Professor AUTH), Agios Papadopoulos (President of EATH). Coordination: Kostas Blaatkas.
Monday, June 22nd (Avelios area of Glass Library)
‘Gambling in reading: From Byzantium to Artificial Intelligence". An interactive action for young and old people in collaboration with AME "Byzantine Thessaloniki" and AUTH professor Andreas Gutzokosta.
Friday, June 26 (Amlios area of Glass Library)
‘Costas Axelos: The Thought of Today". Open philosophical dialogue in collaboration with the Central Municipal Library. Players: Petros Satrazanis, Dimitris Dimitriadis, Katerina Daskalakis.
Sunday, July 5 (Avelios area of Glass Library)
A tribute "Thessaloniki of Charles Diehl" in collaboration with AME "Byzantine Thessaloniki", honoring the great French Byzantineologist who presented the city internationally.